


Somewhere I'll Be Seen

by ivysleague



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Smut, Wanderlust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:40:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 58,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24578461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivysleague/pseuds/ivysleague
Summary: Valentina has always been a wanderer at heart, always dreaming of the day she could get up and go with no destination in mind and no troubles weighing her down. What happens when her wandering heart leads her down a path she never anticipated?
Relationships: Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Comments: 130
Kudos: 360





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a little something I strung together. Please enjoy and sorry for any mistakes

The waves crash on the beach as Valentina sits back on her lawn chair. She takes a pull of her cold beer and admires the view of the ocean laid out before her. Even with the steady breeze, the weather is suffocatingly hot. Valentina thinks it’d be too unbearable to just sit back and relax the way she is if it weren’t for her canopy giving her cover from the sun’s insistent rays.

Earlier that day Valentina touched down in Sisal, Yucatán after spending nearly a month exploring Campeche. Looking around the mildly packed beach, Valentina is sure she’ll hang around here a few days longer than she normally would any other place. There’s a quaint atmosphere to this town and she won’t mind basking in it for a bit.

Laughter catches her attention and she looks up to see two young women and a guy splashing around in the ocean not too far from her. What strikes her is the unique beauty of each individual person. The beautiful blonde with fair skin and legs for days, contrasts vividly with the athletic, sun-kissed man and his wavy golden brown locks. As attractive as they are, it’s their dark haired friend whom Valentina cannot tear her eyes away from. She has a stunning aura to her, with her moderately tanned skin that looks like it glows with the sunlight and her taut body that only shows a glimpses of the hidden muscles underneath the surface.

Valentina swallows her sip of beer harshly and sets it down to pick up her sketch pad. She watches them for a few moments, trying to get a good read on their nature before she etches them onto paper. She can’t hold back the smile that forms when she sees the guy pick up the blonde woman by her waist, causing her to squeal, and falls backwards into the water with her.

A melodic laugh cuts through the air and Valentina’s eyes slide over to the tanned woman standing in the waist deep ocean water. Pearly white teeth are on full display as she laughs freely at the antics of her friends. A giggle escapes Valentina as she gets caught up in the scene in front of her. She shakes her head and begins a rough sketch of the stunning woman and her friends. 

Valentina’s eyes flicker back and forth between them and her drawing, only to pause when she catches eyes with the gorgeous woman who’s already looking at her with her head tilted slightly. Dark eyes shift from Valentina’s gaze to the layout behind the brunette. A blush forms on Valentina’s cheeks, suddenly feeling self-conscious about the artwork she has on display leaning on her Volkswagen van and hanging on a clothesline she tied across the canopy. 

The woman’s eyes fall on her again and there’s a hint of a smile forming on her lips. Valentina flushes again and gives her a friendly nod. She feels an unjustified sense of giddiness when it causes a full smile to break across the woman’s face. Unfortunately, their little moment is broken when the tanned woman is suddenly tackled into the ocean by her blonde friend. 

An amused huff escapes Valentina and she goes back to her drawing. After that, she tries her best to keep her eyes focused on her sketch pad and away from the three friends trying to enjoy their day at the beach. The last thing Valentina wants is to make them feel uncomfortable by her lingering gaze.

Once she feels satisfied with her sketch, she places her pad on the small table next to her and heads inside her van to grab another beer from her electric powered cooler. Taking a swig as she exits her van and her eyes land on the three friends now packing up their belongings from their spot on the beach. Valentina locks eyes with the dark haired woman again and she gulps down her beer as they hold each other’s gaze.

She watches as the woman turns to her friends to say something. The two look over at her and back at their friend with a smile and nod in agreement to whatever was said. Nerves rise in Valentina when she sees them making their way over to her. Choking down another mouth full of beer, she anxiously looks around for a way to appear casual, but falls short. As gracefully as she can, she plops herself down at the entrance of her van and tries not to look as though she’s waiting for the trio to approach her.

Valentina looks up as they get near. The guy shoots her a friendly smile while the two women are looking at her artwork and exchanging words between them. She smiles back at him, but her eyes keep glancing over to the tanned woman sporting a deep amber bikini top and shorts.

“Hi! Did you do all of these?” The guy asks, pointing to her art as he approaches her.

Valentina nods. “Yep, every single one.”

“Damn, that’s really fucking cool.” He says as his hazel eyes rake over all of her paintings and sketches. “You’re really talented.”

“Thank you.” Valentina smiles at him. 

She wants to roll her eyes at herself. Usually when people approach her van Valentina has no problem talking their ears off, but for some reason she feels like her words are caught in her throat. Her blue eyes shift over to the dark haired woman whose focus is on a painting Valentina did of Virgen del Carmen a week back.

“Is this for sale?” The blonde woman pipes up, pulling Valentina’s eyes away from her friend as she tugs gently on a sketch that’s hanging on the clothesline.

“No.” Is Valentina’s instant reply. Three pairs of questioning eyes fall on her and she closes her eyes and shakes her head at herself. “I mean, you can just have it.”

“Oh, you don’t sell your artwork?” The blonde asks.

Valentina shrugs and shakes her head. “No. My only rule is one per person, so pick wisely.”

The three friends chuckle as the dark haired woman goes back to looking at the painting she’s been admiring. Valentina takes another swig of her beer as a distraction. She has no idea what’s gotten into her, but she’s definitely not acting her usual self.

The guy groans as he watches her take a drink of her beer. “I could use one of those right about now.”

Valentina leans back into her van and reaches into her cooler to pluck out another beer. She opens it with the bottle opener attached to her keys and holds it out for the guy, who takes it graciously.

“Oh, my god. You’re a literal angel.” He says as he takes a drink.

“Nick, don’t be weird!” The blonde scolds him. She gives Valentina an apologetic smile. “Sorry about him.”

Valentina chuckles as she waves it off. “Would either of you like one as well?” She asks gesturing to her beer.

“I’m good, but thanks for offering!” The blonde says with a grin.

Valentina looks at the tanned woman who gives her a shy smile. “No, thank you.”

“I like this one!” The guy, Nick, says loudly as he plucks up a canvas that’s resting against her van.

The blonde rolls her eyes at him as she removes the sketch she was asking about from where it’s pinned up on the clothesline.

“Is it alright if I take this?” She looks at Valentina for confirmation. She nods at the blonde with a smile and receives one in return. The blonde turns to look at her friend. “What about you, babe?”

The woman steps away from the painting she’s been looking at and glances around at the artwork. She looks up at clothesline and smiles at the only painting that’s hung with the rest of the sketches. It’s a small painting Valentina did on watercolor paper of the ocean as it leads up to a beach with a backdrop of colorful buildings right at the edge of a small boardwalk. It’s a favorite snapshot Valentina had taken when she was kayaking at small beach just outside of Paraíso.

“I’ll take this one.” The woman says as she removes it from its pin.

“Are you sure? You’ve been eyeing that other one since we got here.” Nick says.

Her dark eyes flicker over to the painting of Virgen del Carmen and back to the one in her hands. “I like this one.” She turns to face Valentina and gives her a disarming smile. “Are you sure we can’t give you anything for these?”

It takes a second for Valentina to answer as she’s distracted by the smile sent her way. “Yeah, I’m sure. But thank you.”

“Thank _you _. Really, this is very cool of you.” She says sincerely.__

____

“Yeah, thanks for this. And for the beer!” Nick says holding up his nearly finished glass.

____

“No problem I’m glad you guys found something you connected with.” Valentina replies easily. She doesn’t miss when the woman she’s been admiring glances back at the painting. “Enjoy the rest fo your day.”

____

The trio say their goodbyes, not without giving more thanks to Valentina for the artwork, and head off away from the beach in the direction of the small town. Valentina sighs as she watches them go, her eyes fixated on the dark haired woman. She knows what her sketches are going to consist of for the next couple of weeks.

____

When she looks back towards the beach, Valentina notices a few other people making their way towards her van. Without thinking, she stands to reach for the painting the woman had been staring at. She gives it a once over before tucking it away safely in her van, and giving a warm grin to the approaching people.

____

* * *

____

As the late afternoon sun sets, Valentina packs all of her belongings into her van and locks it up soundly. She can’t wait until she’s back on the other side of the coast where she can watch the sunset splayed out against the ocean. It’ll be a few months before she’ll be back on that side of the country again, so for now she’ll continue to appreciate what she’s given by nature. 

____

Making sure she has her wallet, phone, and camera, Valentina sets off to wander through the small beach town she’s decided to spend a week in. As she roams through the streets, she captures snapshots of the everyday life in the town. Colorful buildings, artwork on the walls, and people going about their day. She approaches the people she gets pictures of to let them know she’s captured them candid and asks for their permission to keep the shots. A few tell her no, to which she deletes the pictures right away, but the rest say yes, and she makes a mental note to return to them with a sketch of their portrait later on.

____

The last bits of sunlight casts softly across the town. It’s a signal for the little pueblo to unwind and settle into itself as it readies for the night. Valentina’s stomach grumbles as she heads back towards her van. She keeps an eye out for a place to eat as she nears the beach, and spots a local sports bar not too far off the path that leads to the small boardwalk.

____

She enters and makes her way to the bar instead of a table. Valentina doesn’t like to sit at tables if she can help it. It’s too closed off, too isolating. She can’t count the number of people she’s met and has had enlightening conversations with just by sitting at the bar. Of course Valentina’s gotten her fair share of creeps that either she or the bartenders have fended off, but for the most part, she hardly ever runs into trouble.

____

The bartender arrives to take Valentina’s food order of fish and chips. He smiles charmingly as recommends a beer on tap and she smiles back politely as she makes her pick. When he retreats to put in her order to the kitchen and get her drink, she takes the time to look around the bar. It’s relatively small, but well-kept with fútbol banners hang on the walls along with the Mexican flag and signs of local brewed beers. It’s not empty, but it’s also not packed. There are a few couples scattered around, a group of friends, and who appears to be a regular at the other end of the bar.

____

The bartender returns with her drink and places it in front of her with a smile. “Are you from around here?”

____

Valentina smiles. “I’m not. Is it that obvious?”

____

“We’re a small town. Not a lot of new faces stroll through here. The most we get are a few people from the city who make the drive, but it’s usually all residential.” He says with a shrug.

____

Valentina hums. “It’s beautiful here. It’s a shame not many visit.”

____

The bartender nods. “We’re often overlooked in favor for Progreso. It’s more popular, and people usually go there to party. I’m fine with that though. I like my town the way it is.”

____

“That’s very true. This place is definitely something, I can see why you wouldn’t want it to fall victim to partygoers. Have you lived here your whole life?” Valentina asks.

____

The bartender smiles at her. “Yeah, I have. I moved to the city for a bit just to get out of the small town and go to university. It was great and all, but I missed home, so I came back. Nothing quite like Sisal.”

____

“I lived in a city my entire life. It’s nice but I can see the appeal of wanting to come back to a small town. Especially by the beach.” Valentina agrees. 

____

The bartender opens to mouth to ask her something but is interrupted by one of the waitresses bringing Valentina’s food from the back while placing some drink orders for the other patrons of the bar. He smiles at her and tells her to enjoy her food while he excuses himself to make the drinks.

____

Valentina spends the next half hour eating her food and conversing with the bartender during his downtime. She pushes the empty basket of her finished meal away from her as she holds her hand up to the bartender, who’s helping the customer at the end of the bar, for her check. He nods his head and signals he’ll be with her in a moment and she nods back with a smile.

____

She’s in her own world when familiar voices catch her attention. Valentina looks over to her right to see the three friends from earlier sitting at a table chatting. They don’t have food or drinks in front of them, so she guesses they must just arrived.

____

“Do you want the check?” The bartender gets her attention.

____

“Um,” Valentina looks at her down at her empty plate and finished beer, glances over at the friends, then back at the bartender. “Actually, can I get another one of these?” She gestures to her beer.

____

The bartender smiles at her and nods before going to grab her another beer. Valentina isn’t sure what’s compelling her to stay, but as her eyes slide over to the friends, to the dark haired woman, she feels like whatever that urge is, it wouldn’t hurt to see where it takes her.

____

* * *

____

Turns out that urge is worthless. Valentina has been sitting in her spot at the bar and hasn’t made a single attempt to speak to the trio sitting fifteen feet away from her. She’s not sure why she feels glued to her seat, but it’s frustrating to say in the least. Especially considering meeting and talking to new people is Valentina’s thing. She’s approached much more unfamiliar people in much more random ways than this and had hit it off with them without a hitch. For some reason, she can’t seem to work up the courage to do the same now.

____

So, Valentina spends her time making small talk with the bartender and wondering why she’s such a hopeless mess. There’s movement that catches her eye and she looks up to see the guy, Nick, getting up to go to the restroom. Valentina looks back down at her half full drink and sighs, deciding she’s going to head out after she finishes it.

____

Valentina takes a big gulp and sets it down as her eyes glance around the bar. Her blue eyes shift over and lock on dark brown eyes that were already trained on her. Valentina’s eyebrows rise as a small smile forms on her face.

____

“Hey, you’re the artist from the beach!” A deep voice rings out, pulling her attention.

____

Valentina looks up to see Nick walking towards her from the end of the bar. “Yeah, hey.” She greet him with a smile.

____

Nick gestures to the bartender. “Can I get another round for my table and whatever she’s having.” 

____

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that.” Valentina tries refusing.

____

“Are you kidding? On top of the amazing art you gifted us, you also shared your beer with me. Just think of this as me returning the favor.” Nick says as he waves off her protests.

____

“I really didn’t mind.” Valentina says as a fresh beer is placed in front of her and three are placed in front of Nick.

____

“And I really don’t mind buying you this beer.” Nick shrugs good-naturedly, then holds out his hand for her to take. “I’m Nick, by the way.”

____

Valentina smiles at him and takes his hand. “I’m Valentina.”

____

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Valentina.” He shakes her hand and glances over at his friends who are watching them. “Hey, would you like to join us?”

____

Valentina’s eyebrow arches at the offer. “Yeah, sure. If your friends won’t mind.” Her eyes shift to the dark brown eyes that haven’t left her.

____

“No way! We haven’t been able to stop talking about you.” His eyes widen at his words. “I mean, not in like a creepy way or anything, we just really like your art.”

____

Valentina chuckles. “Well, thank you. And I’d love to join you.”

____

Nick smiles at her and grabs the three beers with his hands and motions for her to follow him. They make their way to the two women seated at the table not too far from them. 

____

Nick sets the beers down and hand them out as he gestures to Valentina. “Look who I found sitting at the bar. Valentina, this is Kenzie and Juliana.” He says as he sits down and points at the two ladies respectively.

____

“Nice to meet you!” The blonde, Kenzie, says with a big smile.

____

Valentina tilts her head at the unfamiliar sounding name, but smiles nonetheless. “Thanks, you too. I hope I’m not intruding.”

____

“Not at all” Kenzie says.

____

Valentina smiles at her and glances over at Juliana who’s already shooting her a grin of her own.

____

“I’m glad you’re joining us.” She says to Valentina earnestly.

____

Valentina gives her a shy smile before looking away and taking a sip of her beer. She clears her throat and turns to Kenzie.

____

“So, Kenzie, I’m not too familiar with your name. Are you from around here?” Valentina asks.

____

Kenzie chuckles as she shakes her head. “No, I’m not.”

____

“Es una güerita americana.” Nick says to Valentina with a smirk.

____

“Shut up, Nick!” Kenzie says with a roll her eyes as the table erupts in chuckles. She looks over at Valentina exasperatedly. “I’m from Texas, but I moved here a few years ago.”

____

“Oh, wow. That must’ve been a really big change for you.” Valentina says with wide eyes.

____

Kenzie shrugs. “Not as hard as you might think.”

____

Valentina nods in understanding. “I can respect that. Do you guys live here in Sisal?”

____

“Nah, we’re from Mérida. We’re just here for the weekend for some down time.” Nick says before taking a swig from his beer. “What about you?”

____

“No, I don’t live here.” Valentina shakes her head.

____

“Oh, where do you live?”

____

Valentina shrugs. “Wherever I feel like living in the moment.”

____

She gets two sets of eyes peering at her inquisitively, but it’s Juliana who speaks up first.

____

“Your van is your home?” It’s more of a statement than a question, but it’s not harsh. It’s curious and perceptive.

____

Valentina meets her gaze she says with a nod, “It is.”

____

“No way! Dude that’s awesome. So you’re like a nomad!” Nick says in awe.

____

Valentina giggles. “Yeah, I guess that’s what I am.”

____

“Isn’t it scary?” Kenzie asks.

____

“Not as scary as you might think.” Valentina says with a cheeky smile.

____

It earns a laugh from Kenzie, a nod of respect from Nick, and a smirk from Juliana. Valentina smirks back at her as she takes a swig of her beer.

____

“So, wait. If you live out of your van, and travel wherever you want, how come you give your art away for free? Wouldn’t you want to sell it to make money?” Nick asks.

____

Valentina chews on the inside of her cheek. “It’s not about the money. Besides, I get my inspiration for free, so why would I charge for the art it produces?”

____

“You’re such a hippie.” Nick says with a wide grin.

____

Valentina laughs. “Yeah, I know. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a conversation with someone about how it’s a poor business model. I really don’t mind though.”

____

“Okay, wait, but serious question.” Nick leans over closer towards her with a serious face. “Where do you shower and poop?”

____

“Nick!” Kenzie scolds as she kicks him under the table causing him to grunt.

____

Juliana bursts out laughing and Valentina smiles widely at the question. She was waiting for that one to come up. It’s a very popular question she gets asked often.

____

“No, it’s fine.” She holds her hand up to Kenzie who’s still giving Nick a reproachful look. “I have a portable shower. It’s long, slim tent and where I can hang up shower head attached to a pump that’s connected to a twenty gallon jug. As for the pooping, I just find a rest stop or fast food chain to do my business.”

____

“See, Kenzie. My question wasn’t bad.” Nick says pointedly. He turns to Valentina. “That’s a dope set up though. You thought of everything.”

____

Valentina shrugs. “At first it was touch and go, but once I got into the groove of things it worked out. Although, it’s a bitch trying to fill up a twenty gallon jug with clean water. Sometimes I’ll just book a motel room for a hot shower and a private bathroom.”

____

“What’s your van like?” Juliana asks curiously.

____

“It’s as modified as I could get it. The back seats are taken out to make room for a bed, and a small table and counter. I also had some shelves and a tall cabinet installed where I can store things. And my bed has little compartments inside the van for my clothes, and on the other side where the back door opens, there are bigger compartments where I can store some of my bigger items.” Valentina explains.

____

“You never feel cramped?” Kenzie asks with furrowed eyebrows.

____

“Not really. You’d be surprised at how big the van actually is. I can even sit up on my bed and still have extra head space. Plus the roof extends upward so I don’t have to slouch.”

____

“Okay, I’m going to need a tour of this van of yours.” Nick says as he sits back in his chair.

____

Valentina chuckles. “Stop by anytime and I’ll give you one.”

____

“Can we stop by tomorrow?” Juliana asks with a tilt of her head.

____

Valentina nods slowly as a small smile forms on her face. “Yeah, tomorrow is perfect.”

____

“Oh, then we can spend the day at the beach together!” Nick exclaims excitedly.

____

“That sounds like a lot of fun.” Valentina smiles kindly at him.

____

“Hey guys I think this place is getting ready to close. We should head out.” Kenzie says looking around.

____

Sure enough, the bar was empty sans them, and the staff looks like they’re packing things up for the night. Kenzie gets up to use the bathroom while Nick and Valentina head to the bar to close out their tabs.

____

“What’re you going to do right now?” Nick asks as he signs his bill.

____

“Nothing. I’m going to head back home and probably call it a night.” Valentina shrugs as she signs her own.

____

“You should come hang out with us. We rented a small little casita up the road. There’s a pool and we have more drinks.” He entices with a waggle of his brow.

____

“Nick,” Juliana walks up to them. There’s an amused, but exasperated smile on her face as she regards her friend. “We just commandeered her evening. I’m sure Valentina could use a break from us.” She shoots Valentina a rueful grin that makes her insides flutter.

____

“Oh, no it’s totally fine.” Valentina says waving her hands as she gives Juliana a reassuring smile. 

____

Truthfully, she’s grateful for Nick coming up to her and inviting her to their table. She had wanted to talk to the friends the whole night but hadn’t been able to bring herself to do so. The more Valentina thinks about it, the more she realizes it’s because she’s attracted to the tanned beauty with the welcoming smile. 

____

“See, Juli? Valentina doesn’t mind.” Nick says as he slings his arm around Valentina’s shoulders. “So, you’re in then?”

____

Valentina pulls her eyes away from the chocolate brown orbs she got lost in for a moment and looks up at Nick. “Hm? Oh, uh yeah.” She stammers out.

____

“Hell yeah!” Nick exclaims with a broad smile.

____

“What’s going on?” Kenzie says as she walks up to the group.

____

“Valentina is going to come over to join us for night swimming and drinks.” Nick says as they make their way out of the bar and into the warm night.

____

“Ooh, nice.” Kenzie says, shooting Valentina a grin. “This is going to be fun!”

____

They begin their walk to the casita the trio rented out for the weekend. Nick and Kenzie take the lead, talking animatedly about one thing or another as they walk on ahead. That leaves Juliana and Valentina to walk together a few paces behind the exuberant friends.

____

“You know, you really don’t have to come.” Juliana says as she looks over at Valentina with a smile.

____

She giggles. “I really don’t mind. It sounds like a lot of fun to be honest.”

____

“Okay. I’m just making sure. I know how Nick can get, so if you want to bail, no one will hold it against you.”

____

Valentina slows to a stop and narrows her eyes at Juliana playfully. “Do you not want me to come?” 

____

Juliana chuckles as she faces Valentina fully. “Of course I want you to come.”

____

“It kinda sounds like you don’t want me to come.” Valentina says skeptically.

____

“No, I definitely want you to come.” Juliana replies. 

____

When Valentina hums unconvinced Juliana chuckles. They stare at each other, both trying hard not to let a smirk break free on their faces. Valentina’s breath catches when Juliana’s eyes flicker down to her lips. A giddy feeling bubbles inside of her when she realizes the attraction may be mutual.

____

“Hey!” Nick’s voice breaks through their staring contest. They look over at him and Kenzie who are watching them from a distance. “Are you guys coming, or what?”

____

Juliana chortles while Valentina bites her lip and covers part of her face with her hand. When she looks back up, Juliana is watching her with soft eyes. She tilts her head towards her friends with a quirk of her eyebrow. Valentina smiles at her and gives her a nod.

____

“Yeah, we’re coming!” Juliana calls back as she slides her hand in Valentina’s and pulls her along towards the duo waiting for them.

____

* * *

____

When they arrive at the casita, Valentina is surprised at how tiny, yet efficient it is. It’s a small little house, with a floor plan like a studio. At one end is a small kitchen with a breakfast bar, and at the other end are two full sized beds. It has a sliding door that leads out to the backyard where there are small little lights hanging across in a zigzag pattern and a pool resting at the center left of the enclosure. It’s super cute.

____

In no time, everyone is in the pool laughing and splashing around. They play a few games of chicken fight. Valentina tries her hardest not to be affected when Juliana’s strong thighs rest over her shoulder, but if she’s being honest with herself, it’s the reason they didn’t win a single match. 

____

They also try their hand at Marco Polo, but quickly veto the game after Nick starts cheating, and Juliana starts getting too competitive. After a while, they end up lounging in the pool and talking about whatever comes to mind while they float and swim around aimlessly.

____

Valentina learns a lot about the friends in the short amount of time she spends with them. She learns how Kenzie came to live in Mexico. Turns out, she and Juliana had been best friends back in Texas, but Juliana had moved to Mexico in the middle of high school and they lost contact. When they got older, they found each other on social media, and Juliana invited Kenzie to come visit her in Mérida.

____

Kenzie took Juliana up on that offer after a particular rough semester in college, and fell in love with Yucatán. After talking to Juliana about it extensively, she dropped out of college, much to the outrage of her overbearing parents, and applied for a visa. She moved in with Juliana who was already living with Nick, and the trio have been inseparable ever since.

____

She learned Nick was born and raised in Ciudad de Mexico, just like her, and met Juliana in their final years of high school. When they graduated, Nick told Juliana he was leaving for Mérida for a job offer from his uncle and that she should join him. With little hesitancy, she accepted his offer, and that’s how they all ended up where they are now.

____

Every detail they gave her fascinated Valentina. It’s what she loved the most about meeting new and different people. The unique stories they carry with them, each having their own plights and paths that lead them right to where they are now.

____

One thing Valentina notices is that Juliana never offers up anything about herself. Everything she hears about the woman comes from the stories of her friends. She doesn’t know what caused the move from Texas to Mexico, or her seamlessly easy choice to leave with Nick to Yucatán. 

____

For a moment, Valentina worries the two might be an item, but she quickly dismisses the notion as she watches the two interact throughout the night. They act more as siblings than anything else. No prolonged stares, lingering touches, or secretive smiles shared between the two. Mainly a lot of glaring, hitting, and pretend drowning that came from their intense game of Marco Polo.

____

“And your decision to become a nomad? What brought that on?” Nick asks after downing half of his beer in one drink and letting out a huge burp causing Kenzie to grimace and Juliana to roll her eyes.

____

“It wasn’t so much as a decision as it was inevitable, I think.” Valentina says thoughtfully. She’s had this conversation with strangers before, but she’s always given them a roundabout answer, never her full truth.

____

“My whole life had kinda been planned out for me, but even when I was a little kid, I always had this urge to follow my own path and go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted. As I got older, I had no choice but to fall into the mold that was created for me. I did what my father wanted, I went to school so I could get a degree in public relations and head the PR department of the family business, basically following in my siblings footsteps.

____

I did everything I could to try and stay in line, but didn’t last. I had an emotional breakdown one night a month before my graduation. It was pretty bad and I didn’t have anyone to turn to since my family isn’t big on mental health. That’s when I realized that I’m the only one responsible for my own happiness. So, I finished school, got my diploma, like my dad wanted, and left it on my pillow for him, since it was never really mine to begin with. I took off in the middle of the night, and haven’t looked back since.” Valentina furrows her eyebrows, then raises them as she looks up at the others.

____

“You put your diploma on your pillow for your dad to find as a parting gift, while you left to go do what you always wanted to do, thus breaking out of the very mold that confined you and limited you in ways that deteriorated your mental health?” Nick questions, his tone coming off as absentminded as he verbally processes Valentina’s words.

____

“Yeah, pretty much.” Valentina nods. There’s a prolonged moment of silence as everyone mulls over the conversation.

____

Finally Juliana looks up at her with her eyebrows pinched together. “You’re my fucking hero.”

____

Valentina snorts out causing everyone else to burst out laughing. “Thanks, I know.”

____

Juliana rolls her eyes and splashes her with water. Valentina’s jaw drops exaggeratedly and she splashes water back, causing an all out war to ensue. It’s a free for all, everyone splashing anyone with no remorse. Nick splashes Valentina in the face, catching her off guard. It gives enough time for Juliana to pounce on her, dragging them both into the water.

____

She opens her eyes and sees Juliana already looking at her with a smile. Without hesitation, Valentina moves forward to close the distance between. It feels like slow motion since they’re underwater, and all Valentina can think is how fitting it seems.

____

Valentina should’ve seen it coming. Juliana’s smiles widens and before Valentina can reflect as to why, the dark haired woman brings her hand up to place it on Valentina’s face and push her deeper into the pool as she swims up to the surface.

____

Air bubbles escape Valentina as she tries to voice her complaint. She quickly recovers and swims after Juliana, wrapping her hand around her ankle and pulling her back. She breaks the surface and leaps on Juliana’s back to stop her from getting away. Juliana laughs as she tries to keep herself afloat, but it’s hard to do with Valentina trying to push her into the water.

____

Juliana stands up and drops herself backwards into the pool causing Valentina to loosen her grip. She’s only able to get so far away before Valentina is on her again, determined not to let her out of her hold. This time she clings to Juliana’s side like a koala bear and tightens her grips when feels Juliana stand up.

____

They look at each other with huge smiles on their faces. They get caught in each other’s gaze and Valentina bites her lip, causing Juliana’s chocolate brown eyes to drift down. Valentina’s heart increases when Juliana, inches forward, but someone clearing their throat pulls their attention away from each other.

____

Nick and Kenzie are standing at the edge of the pool with towels wrapped around their shoulders. They’re staring at the pair in the water with amused faces, and are clearly trying to taper down their smiles.

____

“So, we’re going to head to bed.” Kenzie drawls out.

____

“Mhm.” Nick agrees nodding his head quickly.

____

“Valentina, it’s late, so feel free to stay the night. Although you’ll probably have to share a bed with Juliana.” Kenzie offers, then trials off at the end.

____

“Mhm.” Again, Nick agrees with a quick nod of his head.

____

“Anyway, goodnight guys!” Kenzie says over her shoulder as she heads inside.

____

“Night!” Nick calls following her in.

____

Valentina and Juliana stare at the spot Nick and Kenzie were standing in, then at each other with sheepish smiles. 

____

Juliana’s smile turns apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

____

Before she can question the apology, Juliana pushes Valentina off of her side and into pool. Valentina resurfaces, spluttering as she tries to gather her bearings as Juliana’s laugh rings out clearly and freely.

____

“Are. You. Kidding. Me.” She stares at Juliana in shock as a disbelieving chuckle escapes her.

____

Juliana shrugs. “I wanted to win.”

____

There’s a beat of silence, then Valentina is chasing Juliana, who’s moving as quickly as she can towards the staircase leading out of the pool. Valentina reaches her before she can climb out, and pulls her down to sit on the steps as she positions herself above Juliana with a cheeky grin.

____

“Sorry, what were you saying about winning?” She tilts her to the side and gives her a faux inquisitive expression.

____

Juliana bursts out laughing and holds her hands up in surrender. “I was saying that you are obviously the winner, and I never stood a chance.”

____

“Hm, that’s what I thought.” Valentina grins down at her. Her blue eyes drift down to Juliana’s lips, then back up. She swallows as Juliana’s eyes go a shade darker. “I think… I think I’m going to head home now.” She whispers in the space between them.

____

Juliana’s eyebrows shoot up. “Are you sure? Kenzie’s offer was genuine. You can stay here for the night if you’d like.”

____

“I’m sure.” Valentina nods slowly. Truthfully, she doesn’t want to head home, but Valentina knows if she shares a bed with Juliana there’s no way she’s getting any sleep.

____

She gets up and holds her hand out for Juliana to take. They exit the pool and grab their towels to dry themselves off. Juliana excuses herself to head inside while Valentina puts her clothes on over her damp bikini and loops her camera around her neck.

____

Juliana comes back outside with clothes on over her bikini, shoes, and a set of keys. “Okay, let’s get you home.”

____

“Juls, you don’t have to walk to me. I’ll be fine.” Valentina won’t lie, the gesture causes warmth to blossom on her chest, but she won’t put Juliana out like that.

____

“I’m not letting you go alone, Valentina. It’s late.” Juliana shakes her head at her.

____

“Yeah, but then you’d have to walk back alone, so that wouldn’t even make sense.” Valentina argues with her.

____

Juliana smiles at her and holds up keys to what Valentina assumes is her car. “Don’t worry, I’ll drive us.”

____

Valentina shakes her head. “You’ve been drinking.”

____

“No, you’ve been drinking. I stopped after my second beer.” Is Juliana’s cheeky response. Valentina chews the inside of her cheek as she ponders what to do. Juliana sighs and moves forward to place her hands on her shoulders. “Val, please let me take you home.”

____

Valentina knows she’s going to agree. The second Juliana’s dark eyes look up at her through her eyelashes, Valentina is a goner. It worries her how much of an affect Juliana has on her, but she how else is she supposed to act around someone so pretty?

____

“Okay.” She whispers as she gazes into the soft depths of Juliana’s eyes.

____

* * *

____

They pull up to Valentina’s van after literally a minute of driving. Valentina cracks a smile at how quick the drive was and looks over at Juliana to see her biting her lip to keep her own smile from forming.

____

“Thanks for the ride. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had to walk all of that.” She jests.

____

“Get out.” Juliana says as she undoes Valentina’s seatbelt and starts nudging her to leave the car. “Go on, get out of my car.”

____

Valentina giggles and tries to fight her off by trapping her wrists with her hands, but it doesn’t work. “Stop, Juls! I was kidding!”

____

“Yeah, but I’m not.” Juliana quips as she leans over to open Valentina’s door.

____

Valentina stops her and pushes her back into her seat while keeping her hand placed firmly on Juliana’s shoulders to make sure she stays put. The laughter subsides and they stay in that position until Juliana clears her throat and looks away.

____

Valentina pulls her hands back and looks over at her van, feeling a bit awkward. She glances at Juliana to see her looking a little tense as well. Relief floods through her as she realizes she’s not alone in her overthinking. Feeling empowered by their shared anxiety she turns to face Juliana, who looks at her curiously.

____

“Do you want to come in?” She asks hopefully.

____

Juliana beams at her. “You’re offering for me to be the first to get a tour of your home?” Valentina nods with a smile. “I can’t say no to that.”

____

When they enter the van, Valentina turns the portable AC and the battery operating lights on, basking the interior in a faint glow. She closes the door to the van after Juliana enters, and bites her lip as she appraises the woman who’s taking in her home.

____

Juliana looks around the small compartment. Her eyes linger on some of Valentina’s personal artwork she’s created for herself that’s hanging up, the tiny plants she keeps to give life to the place, the curtains she has set up that blocks out the outside world, and her unmade bed that rests at the end of the Van.

____

Valentina tries not to let nerves rise in her, but for some reason she’s feeling exposed. She’s aware that a tour means her figuratively walking Juliana through the place and explaining her reasoning of the layout and how she’s made this her home; however, she stays quiet. Valentina doesn’t want to bombard Juliana with her words, she wants Juliana to see this place, her place, through her own eyes without Valentina’s input.

____

“This place is amazing!” Juliana gushes as she looks over at Valentina in awe.

____

Valentina laughs bashfully. “Thank you.”

____

“No, really it’s… wow! I can see the appeal of it. If I had a place like this, I’d want to travel the world too.” Juliana says as she steps closer to inspect one of Valentina’s sketches. 

____

Valentina removes her camera from around her neck and places it on the shelf next to her polaroid before sitting on her bed. “I wouldn’t say the world. It’s just Mexico I travel in.”

____

Juliana smiles at her and joins her on the bed. “That doesn’t take away from how remarkable it is that you do this.”

____

“You act like I’m curing cancer. I’m just a girl traveling around her country because she doesn’t know how to function properly in society.” Valentina scoffs at herself as she looks away.

____

A hand cups her cheek and she looks over at Juliana who’s giving her the most gentle expression Valentina has ever received.

____

“First of all, you’re not a girl you’re a woman, whose choices and feelings are your own, and they are valid. Second of all, if there’s anything that doesn’t function properly, it’s society, not you.” Juliana asserts as she tucks a strand of hair behind Valentina’s ear.

____

Valentina is momentarily stunned by the words. She’s had numerous conversations with a lot of people about her lifestyle. She’s been called foolish, naive, brave, and badass, among many other things, as if her way of living is some kind of statement rather than the embodiment of who she is as a person. The one thing she’s never encountered is someone who understands and accepts that about her. No one has ever made her feel validated.

____

Without warning a single tear falls down Valentina’s right cheek. It surprises them both, and Valentina quickly wipes it away as Juliana’s face contorts in concern and she begins pulling back.

____

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep.” Juliana expresses worriedly.

____

Valentina vehemently shakes her head and takes Juliana’s hand in her own. “No, no. That wasn’t— you didn’t…” She trials off.

____

Valentina can’t seem to coherently voice what she’s feeling. Nothing seems to come out the way she wants it to, and she sighs at herself. Taking a deep breath to gather herself, she gives Juliana a genuine smile and squeezes her hand. It seems to relax the dark haired woman in front of her as she gives Valentina a warm smile in return.

____

With those consuming dark eyes on her, Valentina blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. “Do you want a beer?” Juliana chuckles and shakes her head no. “Do you mind if I have a beer?”

____

Juliana chuckles again. “No, Val. Go ahead.”

____

Valentina nods and stands up to grab a beer before resuming her seat beside Juliana. She takes a few decent gulps before she shoots the woman next to her a sheepish grin.

____

“How long do you plan on staying in Sisal?” Juliana questions.

____

She’s giving Valentina an out, and the brunette appreciates it more than anything. “I’m not sure. I just got in this morning, and I usually don’t stay more than a week in one place, but I really like it here.”

____

Juliana hums. “Do you know where you’re going after?”

____

“Probably Progreso. I’m going to try and hit all of the coastal towns I can in Yucatán before rounding down the coast of Quintana Roo.” Valentina mulls over the rough sketch of plans in her head.

____

“Progreso, huh? Are you sure?” Juliana’s tone is humorously skeptical.

____

Valentina giggles. “What’s wrong with Progreso?” She has an inkling of an idea from what she gathered from her talk with the bartender, but she’s curious as to what Juliana has to say about it.

____

“Nothing’s wrong with Progreso, it’s just that it’s a cruise ship port. A lot of tourists and a lot of party animals. It’s why we come here even though it’s an extra half hour out of the away. It’s quiet and peaceful.” Juliana explains.

____

Valentina hums. “It’s still a coastal town though. With this unbearable heat, I’m not sure I want to go any more more inland than I have to.”

____

__“It_ was_ pretty hot today. Funny though, because I didn’t see you swimming in the waves despite this unbearable heat.” Juliana quips with a small smirk on her face.

“I didn’t realize you were paying so much attention to me earlier.” Valentina retorts back with her own grin forming on her face. 

Juliana closes her eyes as she chuckles before leveling Valentina with a knowing look and quirk of her brow. “About as much attention as you were paying me.”

Not expecting to be called out so blatantly, Valentina’s cheeks heat up and she bites her lip. “Yeah, okay. Touché.” She says nodding.

Juliana laughs loudly, throwing her head back as she closes her eyes and rests a hand on her chest. The laugh is so carefree and wholehearted Valentina can’t help but join in. She admires the way Juliana allows herself to just be. There’s something genuine in the way she carries herself that pulls Valentina in like a magnet.

When her laughter subsides, she tilts her head fondly at Valentina, causing the brunette’s insides to flutter pleasantly. She lets her eyes drift down to Juliana’s lips, then back up to meet her gaze. Valentina shakes her head and takes a sip of her beer as she looks away. When she looks back, Juliana is still giving her that fond stare causing Valentina chuckle.

Juliana grins. “What?”

“No, nothing.” Valentina shakes her head, but it only serves for Juliana to quirk her eyebrow. “Really, it’s nothing.”

“Mhm, sure.” Juliana says as she plucks Valentina’s beer out of her hand and takes a swig.

Valentina’s jaw drops in playful astonishment at the bold move. Juliana just shrugs as she sets the beverage down on the counter and turns to face Valentina more fully, burying her fingers in her light brown hair as she cups her neck.

“I’m going to kiss you now.” She whispers as she leans in very close. “Is that okay?”

Valentina’s words are lodged in her throat and all she can do is nod dumbly. Juliana smiles and inches closer to her. Delicately, she brings their lips together. Valentina falls into it and grasps Juliana’s shirt to pull her in while she changes the angle of the kiss.

They get lost in one another. It’s languid, neither of them rushing it as they take their time in exploring this new experience. Juliana pulls back and Valentina chases her lips, but doesn’t succeed in finding them. She opens her eyes slowly to see Juliana smiling at her shyly.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening.” Juliana murmurs as her hand leaves Valentina’s neck to trace along her jaw.

The admission causes Valentina to blush. “Me too.”

Juliana smiles at the repaid sentiment and pulls Valentina in for another kiss. She moves back, tugging Valentina with her so that she’s laying down with the brunette hovering above her. Valentina presses herself more firmly into the dark haired woman beneath her and lets out a hum of pleasure as their lower bodies connect.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Juliana pulls back and Valentina peers at her inquisitively. “You’re not— you’re okay to do this, right? You’re not drunk?”

Valentina nods emphatically. “I’m more than okay to do this.”

She goes back in to kiss her, but Juliana dodges her lips. “Sorry, but you didn’t answer my other question. I don’t want to do this if you’re drunk, it wouldn’t feel right.”

Valentina grins appreciatively at Juliana. “I’m not drunk, Juls. I promise. As sad as it sounds, it takes more than seven and a half beers spaced out between four hours for me to feel anything.”

This causes her to crack a smile. “Okay, sorry. I just needed to make sure.”

“And thank you for that. Really.” Valentina’s smile turns sultry. “Just so you know, that makes me want you even more.”

Juliana quirks her eyebrow and moves forward to fuse their lips in a bruising kiss. Valentina moans into her mouth when their tongues meet. She sits up to pull her top off and throws it to the end of the bed. Juliana immediately lifts herself up to pepper kisses all over her cleavage. She pushes the material of Valentina’s bikini out of the way to make room for her lips and pulls back when Valentina moves to unlace the strings. Her top half is bare to Juliana, who expels a shaky breath and buries her face in Valentina’s chest while taking a stiff nipple into her mouth.

Valentina groans in pleasure as her hand weaves into silky dark hair to keep her in place. Juliana takes her time as she lavishes Valentina’s breasts with tongue and lips. Valentina thinks she’s in for an amazing night if Juliana’s attentiveness is anything to go by.

Valentina pulls back to remove Juliana’s shirt and bikini top and pushes her back against the bed as she rises to her knees. Without breaking eye contact, she unbuttons her shorts and shimmies out of them. She enjoys watching hungry dark eyes move to the apex of her thighs and drink her in with such lust. Valentina moves her hands to Juliana’s shorts and unbuttons them slowly, taking her time puling them down long tanned legs.

She bites her lip as she tries to think of where to place her mouth first. So many options, but she settles with draping her body over Juliana’s and sighs when their naked bodies pressed against each other. Valentina grins at Juliana and kisses her chastely before moving her lips to her ear.

“You have no idea the things I want to do to you.” She croons seductively and delights in the shiver that runs down Juliana’s body. “I can’t wait until you come on my tongue.”

Juliana groans as she scrunches her eyes tightly. “Fuck, Valentina. Are you trying to kill me?”

Valentina giggles as she moves down Juliana’s body slowly, taking her time to kiss and suck every mouth-watering inch of skin in front of her. She feels herself clench when Juliana moans dirtily when her teeth tug at her nipples a little roughly. Valentina smirks as Juliana’s abs become more prominent as her tongue trails down her stomach and dips into her bellybutton.

Finally, she reaches Juliana’s center and lets out a whimper at the sight of her glistening folds and the smell of her arousal. Valentina drapes Juliana’s strong thighs over her shoulders, the same distracting thighs that caused them to lose four games of chicken fight in the pool earlier, and looks up through her eyelashes at Juliana, maintaining eye contact as she licks into her deliberately. They both groan at the same time for different reasons. A hand buries itself into Valentina’s hair, and just like that, she’s sets off with a singular goal in mind.

Her tongue is everywhere at once, exploring and tasting as much as she can as she sets a rhythm to build Juliana’s releases steadily. Valentina’s mouth wraps around her clit and she sucks it into her mouth and internally smiles as Juliana whimpers and clutches at her hair forcefully to keep her in place. Valentina switches of between sucking and flicking her tongue against her clit until Juliana’s hips become erratic. She replaces her mouth with her fingers, keeping the same tempo as she plunges her tongue inside of Juliana. A loud moan resonates from the back of Juliana’s throat at the change and she arches her back and rolls her hips against Valentina’s face without restraint.

Juliana shudders and arches as she comes undone around Valentina’s tongue. Breathless whimpers leave her as her body pulsates and Valentina drinks her in greedily as she helps Juliana ride out her orgasm until she’s completely spent. The hand in her hair loosens and Juliana’s hips stop seeking friction as she slumps back onto the bed. Valentina laps up as much of Juliana’s release as she can until she’s being pulled up for a blistering kiss.

Juliana pulls away and flips them in a fluid movement that surprises and excites Valentina. She smirks down at her as she straddles Valentina’s hips and leans down to see nip at her neck. A soft moan ripples through Valentina as her hands shoot out to find purchase on Juliana’s hips. 

“I can’t wait to feel you, to fuck you.” She whispers against Valentina’s neck before sucking at her pulse point.

She watches on in awe as Juliana sits upright again and winks down at her, that smirk still firmly in place. Valentina feels a sudden rush of exhilaration as she takes in the naked woman straddling her. Juliana is literally the personification of sex, and Valentina wants nothing more than to see her in the midst of pleasure again.

Valentina doesn’t think twice as her hand moves from Juliana’s hip to cup her. The surprised gasp turns into a moan she slides two fingers through Juliana’s folds and enters her swiftly. Juliana throws her head back and slams her hips down hard. She seems to get lost in the feeling of Valentina inside of her for a moment before she exhales sharply and tries to control her movements.

“Hang on, it’s supposed to be your turn.” Juliana husks out as she comes to a gradual stop.

Valentina shivers at the sounds of Juliana’s voice as her eyes roam over her body hungrily. “No, it’s okay. I want to see you like this.”

A whimper escapes Juliana at Valentina’s words and she nods her head. She starts off slowly, sinking her hips down as she bites her lip. Her chocolate brown eyes never wavering from the brunette’s blue orbs as she fucks herself on Valentina’s fingers without the brunette having to do a thing.

Valentina slides her free hand up Juliana’s abdomen, feeling the tense muscles quiver beneath her touch. She rakes her nails down her stomach, resulting in the dirtiest moan to reverberate out of Juliana. Eager to see her lose herself to pleasure, Valentina moves her hand back to her hip and encourages the dark haired woman to go faster. Juliana tips her head back again and rides Valentina’s fingers at an unrelenting pace. She brings her hand up to cup her own breast, giving it a firm squeeze as Valentina watches her in awe, emitting a small moan of her own. Valentina releases Juliana’s hip to grab her ass and gives a firm smack. A guttural moan tumbles out of Juliana as she makes eye contact with Valentina. 

“Again.” She rasps out. Valentina gropes the flesh greedily before releasing it and giving Juliana another spank. “Fuck, baby. Again.”

Valentina obeys the command and delivers another smack and revels in the sounds her ministrations produce from Juliana. Valentina loves the idea of Juliana getting off by taking what she wants, but Valentina can’t stop herself as she begins to thrust her fingers in time to meet Juliana’s hips. Juliana whimpers and her pace falters. She places her palms on the brunette’s abdomen to brace herself up as she adjusts to the new tempo. Valentina admires the view of Juliana bouncing on top of her, her breasts pressed together as they sway freely. She brings her hand around to Juliana’s front and strokes her thumb against her clit as Juliana moans out airily and falls harder onto Valentina.

For the second time that night, Valentina watches Juliana’s orgasm rip through her. She smiles brilliantly as Juliana continues rolling her hips on her fingers until she can’t hold herself up any longer and her arms give out. Valentina is quick to sit up and catch her before she can fall. She wraps her arm protectively around Juliana as she coaxes out the remaining ripples of her pleasure with the fingers still buried deep inside of her.

Juliana rests her head on Valentina’s shoulder as she catches her breath. Valentina slowly pulls out of her and embraces her with both arms as she buries her nose in Juliana’s hair. They stay there for a few moments, Juliana taking a little longer to recover this time. Valentina rubs the palm of her hand along her spine soothingly until Juliana lifts her head up with a bashful smile.

“That was…” She trails off as she bites her lip.

Valentina scrunches her nose and knocks her forehead into Juliana’s. “Yeah, it was.”

Juliana laughs fully and pulls her in for a kiss. It doesn’t take long for it to get heated and Valentina feels herself being pushed back down to the bed gently. Juliana nips her bottom lip before pulling away and making her way down her body. Valentina’s toes curl in anticipation as Juliana places open-mouthed kisses on the insides of her thighs, lightly scraping her teeth against the sensitive flesh. She hums her approval as her hips cant upwards on their own volition in reaction to the teasing.

Juliana huffs out in amusement at her eagerness and places a soft kiss on her clit. Valentina releases a gasps as her hips jerk forward searching for more, but Juliana has already pulled back with a smirk. Juliana chuckles through her nose as her eyes gleam playfully at Valentina. Her blue eyes narrow as she sinks her hand into Juliana’s hair and tugs her head back between her legs.

Another chuckle leaves Juliana, and the soft expel of air against her hot, aching center. She stifles a desperate groan as she feels herself grow wetter. Juliana finally licks through her folds enthusiastically. She flickers the tip on her tongue against Valentina’s clit as she enters her with a finger. Valentina cries out in pleasure and spreads her legs further apart. She rolls her hips in time with Juliana’s thrusts and clutches desperately at the sheets. Her back arches when Juliana pulls out and slides back into her with two fingers.

She bites her lip and her eyes roll to the back of her head. Her body is buzzing brilliantly as Juliana works her fingers and tongue against her. Valentina’s close, she can feel the way she’s clenching around Juliana and the way her lower abdomen coils tightly as she nears the edge. Just as she’s about to come undone, Juliana removes her mouth and fingers from her.

Valentina’s eye snap open and she looks up to see Juliana smirking at her as she sucks her fingers clean. The image alone could push her over the edge, but she’s not going to let herself come that way. 

“Juls…” She knows she sounds needy, but she can’t help it, she’s really close.

Juliana palms her lower abdomen soothingly. “I know, baby. Just relax for a minute and catch your breath. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

She places kisses all over Valentina’s stomach before moving on to her hips, then trails them up and down the insides of her thighs. Valentina does her best to control her breathing and feels her impending orgasm fade until it becomes a dull throbbing sensation between her legs. Juliana notices her body is less taut than before and kisses her way back to her soaked center. She doesn’t make Valentina wait as she eases into her with three fingers, pulling a deep moan from her. Valentina shudders as her body adjusts to the stretch and Juliana’s tongue finds her swollen clit again.

Valentina whimpers as she her body feels alight under Juliana’s care. Her nails scrape against Juliana’s scalp at the winding pleasure that’s creeping up on her. She chases the feeling as she arches into Juliana’s touches, eager to find the release she’s desperately craving. She’s close, so fucking close and she can’t wait to find her release this time. Valentina is just about to fall over the edge when Juliana pulls away again.

“Juliana, no!” She moves to sit up, but is pushed back onto the bed.

Juliana is above her in an instant, covering Valentina’s mouth with her own. The kiss is as desperate as Valentina feels. She pours her frustration into it, nipping harshly at Juliana’s lip and clashing their tongues together. The taste of herself does nothing but irk her more as she growls into Juliana and tugs at her hair roughly. Juliana tries to pull back, but Valentina isn’t having it, and she holds her in place and continues to bruise her lips. Juliana tries to break the kiss again, and this time Valentina lets her. She does nothing to hide her frustrated glare, but it only earns her a chuckle in response. 

“An orgasm deprived Valentina is an angry Valentina. Duly noted.” Juliana breathes out amused. She pecks Valentina’s pout and moves between her legs again. “Are you ready to come, baby?”

“I was ready the first time.” Valentina bites out as she insistently guides Juliana’s face back to her dripping core.

Juliana chuckles again, but doesn’t waste time in getting to work. Valentina sighs in relief as her fingers slide into her easily. It was almost painful not to come the second time around, but with Juliana right where she wants her, Valentina feels like she can breathe again. The build up is faster this time as Juliana moves her fingers and tongue with purpose. Valentina can’t stop the whimpers that fall out of her as Juliana drives into her roughly. 

She feels her orgasm is fast approaching, and for a moment, Valentina wonders if she’s ready for it. She feels marooned at sea with a looming wave about to crash into her without remorse. She releases her hold on Juliana’s hair and finds her hand that’s resting on her hip. Valentina clutches it like it’s a life preserver just as the wave crashes into her forcefully.

Her body shudders violently and her throat constricts as she lets out a silent sob. Valentina feels suspended in time, not knowing what is up or down as pleasure courses through her. Her nerves are ignited and suddenly it doesn’t feel like a wave is crashing through her, but instead like there’s an ocean growing inside of her, turbulent and unrelenting, as her orgasm rocks her to her core.

When she finally comes back to herself, Juliana is there, peppering kisses all over her face. She slides her fingers out of Valentina, causing another shudder to vibrate through her body. Valentina buries her face into Juliana’s neck and inhales her sweet scent. She’s still trying to clear through the fog, and anchoring herself to Juliana seems like the best option to achieve that.

“Are you still mad?” Juliana asks in a playful tone after a few minutes.

Valentina chuckles and she lifts her head. “Furious.”

She lets out an amused huff as she settles into Valentina side. Valentina’s eyes fall shut as Juliana traces along her jaw to her lips, up the bridge of her nose, and over her brow before tucking some of her matted hair behind her ear.

“Was that okay?” Juliana asks quietly.

Valentina opens her eyes to meet her gaze. “More than okay. Sorry I got a little heated.”

Juliana chortles. “A little? I thought you were going to rip my head off.” 

She feels a blush coat her cheeks as she purses her lips, feeling a bit silly. She isn’t too sure where that came from, but in the moment, she felt carnal. A hand cups her chin, and turns so she’s staring into soft brown eyes.

“Hey, I was just joking. I didn’t mind it at all. It was actually really hot.” Juliana says wistfully.

“What was really hot was you on top of me.” Valentina replies with a huge grin.

Juliana tips her head back and laughs. “That was definitely hot. Ranked third on the top ten hottest moments.”

“Top ten? What’s the first?” Valentina asks, her smile only growing in amusement.

“Oh I forgot you clocked out there for a second, but the sight of you coming so hard on my fingers…” Juliana does a chef’s kiss, causing Valentina to erupt in giggles.

“Okay, and the second?”

Juliana narrows her eyes at Valentina. “What do you think the second is?”

Valentina thinks back and flushes as their activities replay through her head. “Honestly? The only thing better than you on top of me, is me spanking you while you’re on top of me.”

The laugh that leaves Juliana is hearty and infectious. Valentina’s eyes gleam as she laughs along with her, feeling unencumbered and settled.

“Yes! I’m so glad we agree on that.” Juliana cheers. “That was so hot, you have no idea.”

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea.” Valentina husks as she kisses Juliana.

They pull back and smile at each other. Juliana pulls her in for another kiss. It’s sweet, and soft, and Valentina falls into it easily. When it ends, Juliana settles snugly into Valentina, wrapping her arm around her waist and placing a kiss on her shoulder.

Valentina sighs contently as she runs her fingers along Juliana’s back. Having the dark haired woman tucked safely in her arms and her head resting on Valentina’s chest is soothing. She loves the feeling of small puffs of air dancing across her exposed skin as Juliana relaxes into her. 

Valentina closes her eyes and enjoys the moment as she lets her mind wander. She isn’t sure how long they’re lying there when her curiosity gets the better of her. She opens her eyes and glances down at Juliana.

“Juls?” Valentina’s voice barely above a whisper, not sure if she's has fallen asleep yet. 

“Hm?”

“What was it that made you leave Ciudad de Mexico with Nick so easily?” She asks. She doesn’t mean to pry, but it’s a question that’s been on her mind.

There’s a long pause, and for a second, Valentina thinks she may have drifted off to sleep. When Juliana finally replies, it’s not what Valentina expects.

“How come don’t you have to sell your artwork for money?” She asks instead of answering the question.

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek. She gets it, one revealing question for another in the hopes the topic will be dropped altogether. Part of her kind of wants to be upset with Juliana for the deflection, but she knows it’s irrational. And it’s understandable that Juliana wouldn’t want to answer something to personal, regardless of everything they’ve just done. It doesn’t mean they owe each other anything.

That thought alone sits heavily in Valentina’s stomach. “Gotcha.” She replies with a dry throat.

Juliana lifts her head from her spot on Valentina’s chest to peer down at her with pinched eyebrows. She studies her for a moment before she responds.

“I didn’t mean to come off like that. It’s just… there are things we keep to ourselves because the answer is more weighted than we care to explain.” Juliana murmurs as she brushes her knuckles against Valentina’s cheek.

Valentina nods as she considers the words. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Juliana parrots with a tick of her brow.

Valentina chuckles and nods more emphatically. “Yeah, okay. Really, I understand.”

Juliana smiles at her and brushes their lips together in a soft kiss.

“It’s really late. We should get some sleep.” Juliana says as she resumes her spot on Valentina chest.

Valentina reaches up to turn off the lights. The darkness that follows is inviting, tranquil, blanketing them in a cocoon of soft sheets and naked skin. Juliana leaves a soft lingering kiss just below Valentina’s jaw.

“Goodnight, Val.”

“Goodnight. Juls.”

* * *

Valentina wakes to the sounds of crashing waves and the distant call of seagulls as they fly by. Judging by the minimal light peaking through her curtains, it’s fairly early in the morning. She groans as she tries to stretch, but finds that her limbs are restricted. It takes a second for her brain to play catch-up, but when it does, a huge smile breaks out across her face.

Juliana has molded her front to Valentina’s back with a leg thrown over hips, ensuring the two women have no inch of space between them. Her face is buried in the back of Valentina’s neck, and her arm has a firm hold around her waist with her hand cupping her breast.

As Valentina wiggles, trying to test the strong hold Juliana has her in, the tanned woman grumbles and buries her faces deeper into Valentina’s neck while pulling her in closer. She giggles as she settles back into the embrace for a moment, enjoying the serene feeling of being held so intimately.

“Shh, it’s not time to wake up yet.” Juliana mumbles in a gravelly voice.

Valentina lets out an amused huff. “My internal clock tells me otherwise. But, I guess I can cuddle with you for a little longer, sleepyhead.”

Juliana grumbles again and nips at Valentina’s shoulder, causing her to squeal. “Don’t make fun of me. You tired me out last night, so this is your fault.”

“That’s true. I shouldn’t complain considering your exhaustion is my handiwork.” Valentina sighs sweetly. 

She presses back into Juliana to snuggle into her as much as she can. Juliana kisses the spot on Valentina’s shoulder where she nipped her, then burrows back into her spot in the back of her neck. Once again, Valentina is lulled by the soft breaths against her bare skin and lets sleep overtake her.

When Valentina wakes up again, the sun seems to be brighter, signaling a decent amount of time as passed. She feels soft kisses trailing along her neck and she groans in appreciation. The hand on Valentina’s breasts begins to knead in deliberate motions, causing the brunette to expel a sleepy moan.

Juliana tweaks a nipple between her fingers and Valentina to arches into her arms. Juliana pulls back so she can turn around to face her, and crashes their lips together hungrily. Valentina reaches a hand around to grab Juliana’s ass and pull their lower bodies more firmly against each other, resulting in twin moans. It’s crazy to Valentina, how addictive Juliana has become to her in such a short amount of time, but there’s a craving she feels that refuses to dissipate and she’s not about to question it.

Juliana tears her lips away from Valentina’s to kiss and lick a path all the way down until she reaches her chest. She latches on to a perky bud and showers it with attention while Valentina buries her hand in dark locks as she pants out lustfully.

A loud knock breaks through their heated moment. Juliana releases Valentina’s nipple as she stares at the brunette with raised eyebrows. There’s a silent conversation they have, where they contemplate the repercussions of not responding to whoever’s on the other side. 

There’s another knock, this time accompanied with a familiar voice. “Hello? Valentina?”

Valentina rolls off the bed and yanks open one of her compartments to pull out a shirt and sleep shorts. She puts them on quickly and moves to the door, unlatching the lock and opening it just enough to peer outside. Sunlight hits her directly and it takes a moment for her eyes to adjust and resister the two figures standing outside of her van.

“Hi.” She greets Nick and Kenzie with a hesitant smile.

“Hey.” Kenzie greets her back with a smile of her own. “Sorry to bug you, but we’re wondering if our runaway friend is with you by any chance?”

“Oh, yeah,” Valentina tries to hide her blush as she looks over her shoulder as she clears her throat. “Juls?”

Juliana is finishing up tugging on Valentina’s shirt from the night before as she comes to the entrance with a sheepish smile. “Hey guys, sorry. I didn’t bring my phone with me last night.”

“We figured that out pretty quickly. Nice shirt by the way.” Nick smirks at her while holding out her phone.

Juliana snatches her phone out of his hand and nods at him sarcastically. “Yeah, mhm. So, did you need anything else or can we get the door?”

“Don’t be a dick. We said we’d all hangout at the beach today.” Nick whines and Juliana shoots him an unimpressed look. “C’mon Juli, it’s almost noon!”

It looks like Juliana wants to argue, so Valentina is quick to jump in. “We did agree to that happening.”

Juliana lets out a sigh as she shoots Valentina a petulant look, then back to her friends. “Yeah, okay. Give us a minute?”

“Can I get the keys to the car first? I think my sunglasses are in there.” Nicks asks, holding out this hand. Juliana searches for the keys in the pocket of her shorts and tosses them to him. “Cool, we’ll see you in a bit.”

Valentina closes the the door and turns to face Juliana. “This is okay, right?”

Juliana looks up from her phone. “Hm?”

“Your friends knowing we uh… spent the night together?” She asks hesitantly.

“Oh.” Juliana’s eyebrows raise. “Yeah, yeah. It’s totally fine on my end. Are you okay with them knowing?”

Valentina nods. “Yeah, I don’t mind.”

Juliana nods back and a silence envelopes the women. Valentina looks off to the side, feeling a little awkward. She’s not sure why she gets like this around Juliana, but Valentina is starting to suspect it’s because she cares a lot more than she feels like she has any right to.

Juliana steps forward into Valentina’s space and wraps her arms around her waist. “Are you sure you don’t want to ditch them?”

Feeling the anxiety dissipate, she settles into the embrace and loops her arms around Juliana’s neck. “We’re not ditching your friends.”

“Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” Juliana husks out as she places a delicate kiss on Valentina’s neck. “I promise it’ll be worth it.”

Valentina gets lost in the tantalizing feeling of Juliana’s lips on her skin. She’s surprised when Juliana hands move to her ass in order to lift her up. Long legs wrap around a firm waist, and Valentina’s center presses deliciously against Juliana’s stomach. She whimpers as she begins a soft grind in order to find some relief.

Juliana carries her over to the bed and sets her down gently. Valentina pulls her in for a heated kiss. She nips at Juliana lips earning a growl as she soothes it with her tongue. Juliana’s hands trail up her sides, lifting her shirt along with them.

Juliana detaches her lips from Valentina’s and trails them up her stomach. Valentina groans as she digs her finger’s in dark tresses. When Juliana reaches just below her breasts, Valentina pulls her head back up before she can go any further.

“Juls, we can’t. You and I both know we won’t leave here anytime soon if we keep going.” Valentina rasps out as she tries to level her breathing.

Juliana sighs as she leans her forehead against Valentina’s. “Yeah, okay. That’s something I can’t argue with. I guess we should get ready.” 

She gives Valentina a sweet kiss, then laces their fingers together. Juliana lifts herself up and tugs at Valentina’s hands to bring the brunette up in a sitting position.

They spend the next twenty minutes helping each other into their bikinis and getting ready to join the outside world. One of the things Valentina loves about her home is its ability to block out external factors so that everything within is all that exists in the moment. It’s different having someone else to share that with, but Valentina finds that she doesn’t mind. She actually enjoys it.

She finishes brewing a cup of coffee and leans against the small counter to sip it while she watches Juliana apply sun lotion. Juliana looks up and catches her watching, sending her a smirk that produces a light blush on Valentina’s cheeks.

“Like what you see?” She asks cheekily.

Valentina moves away from the counter and join Juliana on her bed. “I do, very much.” She replies as she hands Juliana the cup of coffee to take the sun lotion from her.

She motions for Juliana to face away from her so she can apply an ample amount to her back. It takes longer than it should, but Valentina is too enthralled by the strong muscles of Juliana’s back beneath her fingertips to care. Besides, it’s not like Juliana is complaining, and when it’s her turn to help Valentina, she takes twice as long.

When the ladies finish up and Valentina is sure everything is turned off, she gives Juliana an extra towel, and leads them out of the van. She locks it up securely and faces Juliana, who seems to be looking at everything with a perplexed expression.

“Are you okay?” She asks as she steps closer to her.

“Yeah. It’s crazy how it seems like two different worlds.” Juliana says turning to face her.

Valentina smiles broadly. “I know what you mean. Even after all this time, it still catches me off guard sometimes.”

She slides on her sunglasses and takes Juliana’s hand in her own. The pair set off towards the beach where Kenzie and Nick are waiting for them. It’s extremely easy to spot them, as they picked a spot fairly close to where they were the day before.

Soft beach jams are playing from a small portable speaker and the duo are sitting on a blanket taking silly selfies and laughing. There’s a spread of takeout containers and four cans of beer laying on the blanket.

“Hey, look who’s wearing clothes!” Nick calls out when he spots them.

Unimpressed, Juliana flips him off as she plops face down on the blanket. Valentina chuckles as she sits next to her and runs her hand through dark locks. She looks up to see Nick and Kenzie watching her.

“Hey guys!” She greets them, then gestures to Juliana. “Sorry for keeping her from you.”

“It’s okay we didn’t miss her that much.” Kenzie shrugs.

Juliana lifts her head to glare at Kenzie. The blonde smiles at her and produces sunglasses, seemingly out of nowhere, and puts them on Juliana while giving her a peck on the nose. The glare drops and is replaced by a pampered smile as Juliana sits up and adjusts so she’s sitting crosslegged with her knee brushing against Valentina’s thigh.

“Here,” Nick starts passing around the food and drinks. He hands a container and beer to Valentina who is surprised and endeared by the gesture. “We figured you guys would be hungry.”

“Thank you, that’s really nice of you.” Valentina gives them an appreciative smile.

“Don’t worry about it babe.” Kenzie waves her off. She shifts her caramel colored eyes to Juliana and lets out an amused huff. “Enjoying yourself?”

Valentina looks over at Juliana to see her container already open and a fourth of the food scarfed down. An extremely pleased smile graces Juliana’s features as she nods happily at Kenzie with full cheeks. Valentina is overcome with the urge to kiss this gorgeous woman beside her, but settles with an adoring smile as she opens her own container to dig in.

Twenty minutes later the four of them are spread out on the blanket with full bellies. Valentina has her head in Juliana’s lap while the other woman is leaning back on her arms as she looks out at the clear blue ocean.

“It’s getting really hot. We should get in the water.” Kenzie suggests from where she’s perched on her stomach with her head in her hands.

Nick, who’s laying off to the side on his back looks over at her with a judgmental frown. “Are you trying to kill us? We have to wait thirty minutes after eating, Kenz.”

“Nick, for the last time, that’s a myth.” Juliana says exasperatedly.

“And for the last time, my cousin almost drowned when we were little because he didn’t wait thirty minutes.” Nick argues back.

Kenzie huffs and stands. “Well, I’m going swimming.”

“Me too.” Juliana agrees. She looks down at Valentina. “You coming?”

“In a bit.” Valentina smiles up at her. She lifts her head so Juliana can get up. Valentina’s watches in a daze as she takes off her shirt and shorts and joins Kenzie in running towards the water.

“I thought you’d be jumping at the chance to swim with Juliana again.” Nick teases her.

Valentina chuckles, then leans towards him conspiratorially. “My brother almost drowned when he was younger too. I’m a firm believer in the thirty minute rule.”

Nick bursts out laughing. “Finally, someone who understands! I swear those girls don’t believe me.”

“They’re wild. It’s a known and proven fact.” Valentina scoffs as she looks over at the two friends diving under the waves. A huge smile adorns her face when Juliana breaks the surface, emerging from the water like some sort of goddess.

“So, you’re like really into my friend huh?” Nick’s hazel eyes are attentively watching her.

She blushes as she looks away. She’s not sure how to answer that, because it’s an accurate observation. Once again, Valentina is struck by how much she’s endeared by Juliana, and how obvious it is. So much that Nick is able to pick up on it easily.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Sometimes I don’t think before I say things.” Nick apologizes when he notices her hesitancy.

“It’s okay, it’s just…” Valentina pauses as she thinks about what to say. “It’s weird, you know? I mean I don’t even _know _her.”__

____

He shrugs. “She doesn’t know you either, yet she was crushing on you the moment she saw you drawing us. Look, sometimes people have that instant connection and it really can’t be explained. If I were you, I’d just go with the flow and see where it takes you.”

____

A small smile appears on Valentina’s face. “She was crushing on me?”

____

Nick laughs loudly. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. She’s gonna kill me, but yeah. Literally could not keep her eyes off of you, it was embarrassing.”

____

Valentina pushes him lightly. “Don’t be mean, that’s actually very cute.” 

____

Her eyes drift back to the water to see Juliana looking over at her. She waves at Valentina before a small wave crashes into her, causing her to nearly tumble over. Valentina giggles as she watches Juliana regain her balance. 

____

“Super cute.” Nicks teases as his eyes flicker between the two women.

____

Valentina shakes her head at him and stands to remove her clothes. She decides she’s not going to overthink this anymore. Nick’s right, she needs to let go of her doubts and feel this out naturally.

____

Nick stops her before she can get far. “Whoa, dude. It hasn’t been thirty minutes yet. What if you drown?” 

____

Valentina looks at Juliana then back at him and shrugs. “It’ll be worth it.”

* * *

They spend hours switching off between swimming in the ocean and lazily sunbathing on the blanket. Valentina can’t remember a time she’s had so much fun. Of all the places she’s been to, of all the people she’s met, she doesn’t think she’s ever felt such a familiar tug towards anyone like she does with this group of friends.

____

After what feels like an hour of swimming, diving, and splashing around, they make their way back to their spot in the sand to unwind. 

____

“Holy shit, it’s already five.” Kenzie announces, looking at her phone.

____

“No wonder I’m starving.” Nick grumbles as he dries himself off with a towel.

____

“I can’t believe we didn’t notice how late it got.” Juliana comments. “Where should we go eat?”

____

“Ugh I don’t want to go anywhere.” Nick whines.

____

Juliana looks at him confused. “I thought you said you were hungry?”

____

“I am, but if we go somewhere, then we’re going to have to go back to the casita to shower and get ready, and that’s not a vibe.”

____

“You and your vibes.” Kenzie rolls her eyes at him with a smile.

____

“He’s not wrong though. Yesterday it took us over an hour to leave the house just to get food.” Juliana sighs.

____

Valentina weighs her options, then decides just to go for it. “I have a grill. If you guys want, we can have a barbecue.”

____

Three sets of eyes peer at her with raised eyebrows. Valentina looks between the friends, starting to feel silly for the suggestion.

____

“Never mind, you don’t want to grill after spending the day swimming.” Valentina shakes her head.

____

“No no.” Juliana interjects as she holds her hands out to keep Valentina from backtracking.

____

“A barbecue sounds really good, actually.” Kenzie nods.

____

“I vote for this idea.” Nick raises his hand in the air. “I want carne.”

____

Valentina smiles and juts her thumb towards her van. “Okay, let me go take out my grill and set it up.”

____

“I’ll come help you.” Juliana steps towards her.

____

“We’ll come too.” Nick says as he slings his arm around Valentina’s shoulders. “You owe is a tour, remember.”

____

After Valentina gives Nick and Kenzie a tour of her home, which left them gushing and with so many questions, she rounds the back of her van to open the door, displaying a storage compartment with two doors that rests underneath her bed. She unlocks the bigger of the two doors and moves to take a few things out so she can reach the grill, but Nick stops her.

____

“Hang on, may I make a suggestion?” He asks. “If you’re cool with it, what if we were to bring your van to the house? We can grill in the backyard and we’ll have the pool to relax in after we’re done eating.”

____

“Yeah we can do that. It’ll actually be better because I don’t have a place for all of us to sit and eat comfortably. Go ahead and hop in, and I’ll drive us over.” Valentina tells them as she closes up the back.

____

“Oh, my car’s still…” Juliana looks around, but notices her car isn’t anywhere to be seen. She looks over at Nick and Kenzie curiously.

____

“We drove it back to the house when we went to get food.” Nick answers, then runs over to Valentina’s van shouting, “Shotgun!"

____

Kenzie follows behind him, with a smile and a roll of her eyes. It leaves Juliana and Valentina alone as the brunette locks up the door.

____

“Don’t feel obligated to do move your van to the house. We can have the barbecue here, it’s not a big deal.” Juliana tells her with pinched eyebrows.

____

Valentina soothes them with her thumb before she cups Juliana’s jaw and pulls her in for a reassuring kiss.

____

“It’s not a problem.” She says when she pulls back. “C’mon. Let’s go to the casita so we can grill up some food.”

____

Valentina takes Juliana’s hand in hers and tugs her to follow her into the van. The car ride is, of course, short. When they touchdown next to the side wall of the house, they bound out of the van and round to the back to help Valentina unload her grill. Nick and Juliana carry it through the side gate while Valentina and Kenzie reorganize the items they took out to reach the grill.

____

“What do you have in there?” Kenzie asks, pointing at the smaller compartment that’s locked up.

____

“That stores all of my artwork and supplies.” Valentina replies.

____

“Oh, that’s where you keep everything.” Kenzie says while standing back so Valentina can close the back door.

____

“Yeah, it’s easier to have a separate space for it. I’ve had a lot of mishaps with spilling paint or ruined canvases when I tried to keep it all inside the van.” Valentina shakes her head thinking back to the messes she’d make after taking a turn a little too sharp, or braking a little too suddenly.

____

“Oof, that must’ve been a pain in the ass to clean.” Kenzie grimaces as she lifts the small bag of charcoal and follows Valentina into the backyard.

____

“You have _no_ idea.” Valentina chuckles as she rolls her eyes at her past naiveté.

____

Nick walks up to them and points at Kenzie. “Let’s hit up that market up the street for the meat.”

____

“Sure.” Kenzie replies easily.

____

Valentina takes the bag of charcoal from her. “Do you guys need any help?”

____

Nick shakes his head. “No, we should be fine. Besides, Juli can’t light the grill up on her own.”

____

“Yes I can!” Juliana shouts back from where she’s standing next to the grill.

____

Nick shakes his head at Valentina conspiratorially as he and Kenzie make their way out to the street. Valentina chuckles as she turns to walk over to Juliana. She holds the charcoal out for her to take, but is surprised when Juliana takes it from her only to drop it unceremoniously on the floor.

____

Juliana pulls Valentina into her and crashes their lips together. Valentina loses herself in the kiss, swiping her tongue along Juliana’s bottom lip until she’s granted access. Juliana walks backward leading them to a lawn chair where she sits and guides Valentina to straddle her lap. 

____

They sit on the lawn chair, getting lost in the feeling of each other’s lips. Neither of them push for more, knowing it can’t lead anywhere they want it to with Nick and Kenzie having only stepped out for a quick trip to the market. So, they indulge in their kisses, teasing each other and nipping at exposed skin. It takes all of Valentina’s restraint not to grind down onto Juliana, but she holds herself back.

____

After ten minutes, Juliana slows her kisses and pulls back. She brings their foreheads together as she brushes thick light brown hair back behind Valentina’s broad shoulders.

____

“Nick and Kenzie be back any minute.” She whispers. “We should get started on lighting up the grill.”

____

Valentina hums and closes the distance between their lips. Juliana melts into it, but pulls back before they get lost in each other again. She ticks her brow at Valentina who groans as she hangs her head back in defeat.

____

“Fine, but only because I know they’ll tease us endlessly if they catch us.” Valentina pouts.

____

She climbs off of Juliana and holds her hand out to help her stand up. They work together in pouring the charcoal into the grill and dousing it with lighter fluid. It takes a few tries to keep it alight, but soon enough the charcoal is burning brilliantly. Valentina and Juliana cheer at their success and give each other excited high fives, not noticing Nick and Kenzie enter the backyard with a bunch of bags.

____

“You guys barely got it started?” Nick asks as he peers over their shoulders to get a look at the grill.

____

Juliana squeaks as she leaps away from Nick. He laughs loudly, pleased with himself for scaring his friend and not at all concerned with the death glare he receives from Juliana. He turns to look at Valentina.

____

“I told you she’s terrible at lighting the grill. You should see her back home when she tries to start the bonfire.” He chuckles.

____

Juliana flips him off and he puckers his lips to send her a smooch. Valentina chortles at their kiddish behavior as Kenzie shakes her head at them.

____

They head inside to unpack the bags and get everything set up to grill. Valentina tries not to chuckle as Kenzie and Nick arguing over seasoning techniques, or when Juliana reprimands them for buying so much food. Valentina joins in on some of the teasing, but blushes when Kenzie correctly speculates why it took them so long to light the grill. Juliana shrugs it off and places a chaste kiss to the side of Valentina’s head as she heads outside with a platter of seasoned meat to grill.

____

Blushing even harder, Valentina joins her outside, followed by a grinning Nick and Kenzie. She scrunches her nose at Juliana and gets a sweet smile in return as they start loading the meat on the grill. In no time, the food is cooked and they’re passing around plates, utensils, napkins, and beers as they ready themselves to dig in to the feast they prepared.

____

Their conversation throughout the meal varies from so many different things, it leaves Valentina wondering how they arrive at certain topics when they were just talking about something else entirely. She hardly minds it, in fact she’s loving the rambunctious dynamic of the friends. The way they tease each other, how they feed off one another’s enthusiasm, and talk about whatever is on their mind without feeling like they have to hold anything back. It’s the type of relationship Valentina always wished she had with her siblings. Regardless, she’s very grateful these beautiful people have let her into their world with open arms and she intends to enjoy every second of it.

____

After their meal they head into the pool for an evening dip. They’re all relatively exhausted so they refrain from playing games and instead swim leisurely around. It lasts maybe twenty minutes before Nick and Juliana start swimming laps, trying to be faster than the other. It turns into an all out competition where they take turns timing each other and racing to see who comes out in first.

____

It doesn’t take long for it to become heated and the it’s called off and they go back to relaxing in the pool. Not long after Kenzie excuses herself to shower and Nick heads inside to make another plate of food. It leaves Valentina and Juliana with the pool to themselves, and they take advantage by floating on their backs with their hands clasped together.

____

They stare up at night sky blanketed with endless glimmering stars. It’s a beautiful sight, and one of Valentina’s favorite parts of going wherever she pleases. She could never get a view like this back in Mexico City. She feels serene in that moment, and it she knows she made the right choice all of those years ago if it meant she’d end up here.

____

She tilts her head to look over at Juliana and admires the outline of her profile. It doesn’t take long for the tanned beauty to notice her stare. Her twinkling dark eyes that hold as much depth as the sky above them slide over to meet Valentina’s gaze, and for a moment, she forgets to breathe.

____

Juliana says something, but she doesn’t catch it because in that exact moment a ripple of the water goes up Valentina’s nose, causing her to splutter. They both stand up as Juliana grips on to Valentina’s arms to make sure she’s okay. Once Valentina is positive she isn’t dying, both women erupt into giggles at the silliness of it all.

____

“I’m sorry.” Valentina gasps out. “What were you saying?”

____

Juliana shakes her head with a smile still plastered on her face. “Nothing.”

____

“Oh, come on. I didn’t almost die for it to be ‘nothing.’” Valentina jokes.

____

A soft laugh leaves Juliana. “No really. I don’t even remember.” 

____

Valentina narrows her eyes, but before she can question her any further, a freshly showered Nick and Kenzie interrupt them.

____

“Shower’s free, if you guys want to wash off.” Kenzie calls out to them as they settle onto the chairs.

____

Juliana looks at Valentina. “Do you want to take a shower.”

____

“I can’t say no to an invitation like that.” She quips suggestively.

____

“That’s not—” Juliana huffs out exasperatedly. “You know what I meant.”

____

Valentina chuckles. “Yeah I know. Don’t you want to shower first?”

____

Juliana shakes her head. “No, go ahead. I’ll go after you.”

____

“Okay.” Valentina smiles and softly brushes her lips against Juliana’s before exiting the pool.

____

“Everything you’ll need is in there. Feel free to use whatever you’d like.” Kenzie tells her as she dries off.

____

“Thanks Kenz.” She smiles at the blonde.

____

“No problem, babe.”

____

Valentina tries not to spend a lot of time in the shower, but it feels good to stand under the hot stream and not feel rushed. She exits the shower and groans at her lack of hindsight. She grabs her phone and sends a text to Juliana. A few moments later she’s knocking at the door with a teasing smile and a shirt and some sleep shorts. Valentina takes them graciously and quickly changes so Juliana can have her turn at the shower.

____

She expects to see the woman waiting in the house for her turn, but finds everyone outside huddled over her grill. A huge smile graces her face when she see them roasting marshmallows on forks.

____

“Valentina! Come get a mallow.” Nick calls her over when he sees her watching them from where she’s standing at the sliding door.

____

Juliana looks up at her with a huge smile and holds out her freshly made roasted marshmallow for Valentina to take. Valentina bites into it and hums appreciatively as she licks her lips and grins at Juliana, whose eyes are glued to her mouth.

____

“I’m going to go take a shower.” She mumbles as she hands Valentina the fork and heads inside.

____

Valentina takes Juliana’s place next to Kenzie and puts a marshmallow in her fork to hold over the small fire. 

____

“So, Valentina.” Nicks drawls out.

____

“So, Nick.” She mimics.

____

“What’re your plans after you leave Sisal?”

____

Valentina watches the white of her marshmallow bronze over the flame. “I’m heading to Progreso, I think.”

____

“What’s waiting for you in Progreso?” Nick asks. 

____

“I don’t know yet, but I guess I’ll find out when I get there.” Valentina shrugs, finally looking over at him.

____

He nods his head, and doesn’t continue the conversation. Valentina is somewhat relieved. She doesn’t really want to think about what awaits her in Progreso. She doesn’t want to think about anything past tonight.

____

They’re quiet for some time as they trade off between roasting marshmallows and eating them. Valentina wants to break the silence, but she’s hesitant, feeling like there are unspoken words left to be said.

____

“We live in Mérida, it’s not too far from here.” Nick speaks up after a while.

____

Valentina looks over at him and nods. “Yeah, you mentioned that. How do you guys like living in the city?”

____

“We love it.” Kenzie answers. “Even with how big it is, there’s still a sense of community.”

____

“It’s a great city. You should check it out if you have the time.” Nick comments.

____

Valentina smiles at him. “Yeah, if I have the time. I’m not too sure though, I’m doing a coastal thing right now.”

____

Nick nods, “Well if you ever find yourself in the city, just know you have a place to crash.”

____

“Thanks, Nick. That’s really nice of you to offer.” She nods her head appreciatively at him.

____

“Hey.” Juliana greets as she steps out into the backyard, freshly showered.

____

“Hi.” Valentina smiles shyly at her.

____

“How are you guys still eating those?” She gapes as she looks at the nearly finished bag of marshmallows.

____

“I honestly don’t know.” Kenzie says as she sets her fork down.

____

Valentina giggles and sets her fork down too. Nick shrugs as he plops another one into his mouth and begins to roast another. Juliana grimaces at him as she moves to sit at the table.

____

“How was your shower?” Valentina asks as she joins sits in the seat beside her.

____

Juliana beams at her. “So refreshing. Although, I’m really sleepy now.

____

“Same. I had a lot of fun today, but I’m so exhausted.” Kenzie says, sitting across from them.

____

“It’s that good kind of exhausted though, you know what I mean? Like, you can only get this type of exhaustion after spending the day at the beach swimming and sunbathing.” Valentina reflects.

____

“Yes!” Kenzie agrees emphatically. “I know exactly what you mean.”

____

“Yeah, like I’m completely drained, but I don’t even mind because of how nice it is. I’m ready to curl up in a ball and have the best night of sleep ever.” Valentina chuckles.

____

“This type of exhaustion hits different for sure.” Juliana nods along with a smile.

____

They burst out laughing as Nick joins them at the table with a confused expression.

____

“That doesn’t make any sense.” He looks around at them with furrowed eyebrows.

____

“You know what we mean, Nick. That tired feeling you get after a day at the beach? How it’s different from being tired after a workout or after a long day?” Kenzie explains.

____

He just shakes his head. “No, I don’t know what you mean. I’m just tired.”

____

Juliana tsks at him. “He doesn’t get it. That’s sad.”

____

Valentina chuckles. “It’s okay Nick. It’s one of those, ‘if you know, you know’ type of things.”

____

“No, it’s not a thing. I have no idea what you guys are talking about, because you’re not making any sense. Exhaustion is exhaustion, how can it, ‘hit different?’”

____

“Poor little baby just doesn’t get it.” Kenzie frowns at Juliana and Valentina, and they start cracking up.

____

Nick rolls his eyes. “Okay, screw you guys. Valentina believes in the thirty minute rule!”

____

Valentina’s jaw drops at Nick in disbelief as Kenzie and Juliana gawk at her. Nick chuckles evilly as he raises his eyebrows at her.

____

“Tell me he’s joking.” Juliana pleads. “Tell me he’s joking and I’ll believe you. I won’t ever question it again.”

____

A light blush forms on Valentina’s cheeks as she shakes her head ‘no’ at Juliana.

____

“You could have lied!” Juliana screeches as Kenzie protests in the background and Nick laughs loudly.

____

“No she couldn’t have.” Nick says, extremely pleased with himself.

____

“You’re the worst.” Valentina grumbles at him and pokes her tongue out when he sends her a wink.

____

“He really is. It’s why we can barely stand him.” Kenzie says with a face.

____

“Okay, güerita. I’ll remember that the next time you want me to kill a spider for you.” Nick promises.

____

Kenzie snaps her mouth shut and narrows her eyes at him. “Fuck you.”

____

Valentina laughs and looks over at Juliana who’s still watching her dubiously. “Are you serious? It’s not that big of a deal!”

____

“It’s a myth, Val! It is a big deal if there’s science to discredit it! What are you going to tell me next? The Earth is flat?” Juliana exaggerates. 

____

“First of all, how dare you? I’d never believe that. Second of all, you cannot compare that to the thirty minute rule! They are on two different spectrums.” Valentina shakes her head. “You know what? Agree to disagree.”

____

“Fine.” Juliana crosses her arms.

____

“Fine.” She parrots back.

____

They look over to Nick Kenzie who are watching them with huge smiles plastered on their faces. Juliana glares at Nick who grins wider.

____

“They’re like an old married couple.” Nicks says to Kenzie, who laughs and nods in agreement.

____

“I hate you both. I hope you know that.” Juliana says as she eyes shift between the two friends. “You’re walking home tomorrow.”

____

“Ugh,” Kenzie groans. “Don’t remind me we have to leave tomorrow. I’m not ready to go home.”

____

“Yeah, I’d be great if we could stay a little longer.” Nick agrees.

____

Both Valentina and Juliana stay quiet. Valentina bites her lip as she thinks about the three friends leaving tomorrow. After tonight, she won’t see them again. They’ll go their separate ways and all they’ll have left are the memories they created. Normally, Valentina lives for the moments she creates between herself and other people she’s met, but it’s different this time. This time, the expiration date feels more like a curse rather than an opportunity. 

____

“Valentina?” Kenzie gets her attention. She looks up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Do you have instagram, by any chance?”

____

“Oh, yeah I do!” Valentina takes Kenzie’s phone from her and searches for her account and requests to follow. 

____

She hands it back to Kenzie and pulls out her phone to accept the request and follow back. Nick takes out his phone and peers over Kenzie’s shoulder to enter in Valentina’s username.

____

“I’m going to add you too, okay?” He types her username into his phone then pauses and looks at her with skeptical eyes. “Wait… no, there’s no fucking way.”

____

He looks at her harder, and Valentina tries not to squirm in her seat as he flickers between his phone and her. She knows where this is going.

____

“You’re Valentina Carvajal? As in Grupo Carvajal?” Nick asks, still looking skeptical. 

____

She nods silently at him as Kenzie and Juliana stare between them confused. He nods, seemingly impressed, then adds her on instagram and puts his phone away. Kenzie looks between the two of them waiting for either to clarify what they’re talking about, but they neither of them speak up. Valentina’s actually waiting for Nick to say something, but he’s leaning back in his seat with his lips sealed.

____

“Okay, I’m just going to ask. What’s Grupo Carvajal?” Kenzie asks after a long beat of silence.

____

“Oh I forgot you’re not from here.” Nick jests exaggeratedly as he sucks in a breath.

____

“It sounds really familiar, but I don’t know either.” Juliana chimes in as she looks at Valentina.

____

He shrugs. “Don’t know what to tell you.”

____

“You’re such a brat.” Kenzie complains to him.

____

“It’s a company owned by my father that controls about half of the media outlets in the country.” Valentina fills them in while she tries to appear blasé.

____

Truthfully, she’s feeling apprehensive about them finding out about her family, but there’s no stopping it now. She and Nick share a glance and some of her anxiety lessens when he gives her an encouraging grin.

____

“Oh, wow. That’s a lot of media to own.” Kenzie comments as she processes the information given to her.

____

Valentina’s eyes slide over to Juliana who looks likes she’s connecting dots in her head. She gives Valentina an earnest smile when their eyes meet, and it allows Valentina to breathe a little easier.

____

“Well, that’s cool, babe.” Kenzie says earnestly. “I can see why you wanted to get out though. It seems like a lot of pressure.”

____

Valentina huffs out a laugh. “You have no idea.”

____

“So, who’s the person I talk to about that repetitive internet provider ad that plays nonstop on channel four?” Juliana jokes with a playful scowl.

____

She can’t help the laugh that tumbles out at the question. “You know, I’m not entirely sure, but I can put you in touch with some people and they’ll direct you.”

____

Juliana chuckles too, “Thank you! Because I am literally this close to snapping every time I see it.” She holds up her forefinger and thumb to show Valentina just how close she is, pulling another laugh from the brunette.

____

“It’s true, she almost threw the remote at the tv one time.” Nick tells Valentina as he blows out a big breath.

____

The three friends laugh at the memory of Juliana’s outburst, while Valentina looks over at Juliana with a skeptical expression as she chuckles along. Aside from seeing her getting competitive, Valentina can’t picture the dark haired woman actually losing her temper. She has such a calming presence that the idea of her getting angry seems almost implausible.

____

“So, is everyone ready for bed? Because I’m ready for bed.” Kenzie says as she yawns.

____

“Yeah, I’m about to crash.” Nick nods as he stands up.

____

Valentina stands as well, stretching her arms over her head. “Okay goodnight everyone! I’ll see you tomorrow before you leave, right?” 

____

“What do you mean? You aren’t going to stay the night?” Nicks asks confused. “We have the room.”

____

“Oh, no it’s totally fine, I don’t want to overcrowd you guys. Besides, my van’s right outside, so.” Valentina shrugs.

____

“You wouldn’t be overcrowding at all, but yeah, I’d rather sleep in my own bed over these lumpy mattresses too.” Kenzie jokes. She rounds up to Valentina to pull her into a hug. “We will definitely see you tomorrow.”

____

Nick sidles up to her and pulls her in for a hug once Kenzie lets her go. “Are you moving back to your spot by the beach or are you staying put for the night?”

____

“I’ll probably stay put and move tomorrow.”

____

“Alright, I expect to see you for breakfast then. Don’t be afraid to kick down that gate and come join us.” He releases her while giving her a playful noogie.

____

Valentina chuckles as she pushes him away from her. “I’ll be here, don’t worry.”

____

She says goodnight to the two friends and watches them head inside. She turns to face Juliana who is still sitting on the lawn chair. Slowly, she rises from the seat and stands in front of Valentina.

____

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Juliana asks while tucking a lock of light brown hair behind her ear.

____

Valentina nods softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. She moves forward and crashes her body into Juliana’s, earning a soft ‘oof’ as she wraps her arms around her. Juliana returns the embrace easily, and they stay like that for a while, Valentina tucked safely into the nook of Juliana’s neck. She pulls away to look adoringly into dark brown eyes, and swallows deeply as she takes a step back.

____

“Goodnight Juls.”

____

“Goodnight, Val.”

____

* * *

____

As exhausted as she is, Valentina can’t sleep. She lies wide awake staring up at the ceiling of her van unable to find it in herself to close her eyes and drift off. Frustrated at herself, she flickers on her lights and pulls out her sketchpad to calm her mind.

____

After three different sketches and unknown amount of time later, a soft tapping gets Valentina’s attention. She pauses, not sure if someone is outside her van, or if she’s hearing things. A moment later, another soft rap echos throughout the van. Valentina tosses her sketchpad haphazardly on her counter and moves over to her door. She inches the curtain to peek out the window and sees Juliana standing on the other side of the door.

____

She quickly unlocks the door and swings it open to come face to face with a shy smile. Valentina smiles back and steps aside to let her in. She shuts the door and locks it before turning to face Juliana, who stands in the middle of her van looking unsure.

____

They watch each other for a few moments. There’s a silent conversation the have with their eyes as they stand a few feet away from each other .

____

“I sa—” Juliana starts, but Valentina cuts her off.

____

She cups the back of Juliana’s neck with both her hands and kisses her soundly. Juliana responds immediately, wrapping her arms around Valentina’s lower back and pulling her in closer. They kiss languorously as Valentina cradles Juliana’s face delicately in her hands. She wants to enjoy this moment for as long as she can.

____

She moves forward as she backs Juliana towards her bed. They undress each other quickly and mold their bodies together again, gasping at feel of each other. Valentina gently pushes Juliana onto her bed and climbs on top of her. They don’t break their kiss as they adjust on themselves to a more comfortable position.

____

Valentina pulls away after placing a few lingering pecks on Juliana’s lips, and pulls her leg up and over her shoulder. She lowers herself until their centers meet and rolls her hips torturously against Juliana. They both groan as their slick folds slide against each other. Valentina can feel as their mutual arousal mixes together and coats them generously with every unhurried thrust she gives. 

____

They enjoy each other like this, surrendering to the sensations and sparks flooding through their veins as Valentina moves above Juliana at a deliberate pace. The build up is gradual and soft, and they move together in tandem as they try and coax out each other’s pleasure. 

____

Valentina’s hand finds its way to Juliana’s breast. She cups it firmly and rolls her nipple between her fingers. Juliana moans out and arches her back as her nails rake down Valentina’s thighs. Juliana takes the hand cupping her breast and moves it up to her neck and gives it an encouraging squeeze.

____

An excited jolt shoots through Valentina as she imitates the firm, but gentle pressure around Juliana’s neck with her hand. A needy whimper tumbles out of Juliana as she moves down to grip Valentina’s wrist to keep her hand in place. Valentina stares down in awe at the gorgeous woman beneath her and can’t recall a time she’s ever felt so infatuated with another person the way she is with her.

____

Without realizing it, Valentina’s hips drive into Juliana with more force. Not faster, but with a newfound vigor that produces a consistent string of moans to reverberate from Juliana as she’s overwhelmed with pleasure. Valentina’s eyes roam hungrily from Juliana’s blissed out face, to her hand wrapped around her neck, down to their wet centers as she tries to commit it all to memory. 

____

She notices how Juliana’s stomach clenches and her moans become airy, a telling sign she’s close. She increases her speed and adds a little more pressure around Juliana’s neck. It doesn’t take long until the she’s coming hard, her nails digging into Valentina’s wrist as her other hand grips the sheets tightly.

____

The sight below her is enough to push Valentina over the edge. She moans out Juliana’s name as her as an electric current spreads throughout her body in the most gratifying way. Her hips continue to move as she draws out their orgasms for as long as possible until she collapses against Juliana’s strong body.

____

She removes her hand and tucks her face into Juliana’s neck as she comes down. Juliana’s arm wraps firmly around her back as the other moves into her hair, scratching at it soothingly. Valentina closes her eyes and burrows into the comforting embrace while they recover from their exertions. 

____

“I said, ‘I don’t want to say goodbye to you tomorrow.’” Juliana rasps out as she tries to regain her breathing.

____

It takes Valentina a minute to process Juliana’s words as she’s still a jumbled mess. When they register, she lifts her head from the safety of Juliana’s neck and peers down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

____

“Earlier in the pool you asked me what I said.” Juliana clarifies. “I said, ‘I don’t want to say goodbye to you tomorrow.’”

____

Valentina stares down at her dumbfounded. There’s so much she wants to say, but the words are caught in her throat. Luckily for her, Juliana still has more she wants to say. 

____

“I’ve had the best time getting to know you and spending time with you. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as unadulteratedly genuine and kind as you.” Juliana pants out as she gazes unabashedly into Valentina’s eyes. “I don’t want to say goodbye, but I know nothing can stop that from happening. I’m just really happy I got to meet you.”

____

With her throat still constricted, Valentina pulls Juliana in for a fiery kiss. She kisses her until they run out of breath and have to pull away. They rest their foreheads together and revel in each other’s presence.

____

“I’m happy I got to meet you too. I know the chances of us seeing each other again are very slim, but I want you to know there’s no way in hell I’m going to forget about you.” Valentina whispers.

____

Juliana chuckles. “Right up until you meet another drop dead gorgeous babe to invite back to your van.”

____

Valentina furrows her eyebrows. “The likelihood of that happening is really low. I’d bank on us meeting again before that happens.”

____

“Sure, Val. Whatever you say.” Juliana smirks at her.

____

She wants to protest further, but Juliana pulls her in for another kiss. They get lost in each other for a moment before Valentina pulls away. As much as she’d like for them to continue their activities well into the early morning hours, she’s extremely fatigued. And it appears Juliana feels the same way because she lets out a deep yawn and her eyes stay closed for a good moment before she blinks them open slowly.

____

“Let’s get some sleep.” She whispers as she presses her lips delicately to Juliana’s.

____

Valentina tucks her head back into her necks and sighs contently. Juliana reaches up to turn off the lights and settles further into the embrace. Valentina is close to drifting off, but Juliana’s voice rouses her.

____

“I moved to Mérida with Nick, because my mom couldn’t accept me for who I am.” She whispers quietly. Valentina tries to lift her head, but Juliana’s hand resting at the nape of her neck stops her.

____

“No, it’s okay. I really don’t want this to be a thing. I just… I learned why you don’t have to sell your artwork. I learned a piece of you, and I now I want you to learn a piece of me.” She whispers with a small shrug.

____

Tears well into Valentina’s eyes as she battles with conflicting emotions. There’s no much she wants to say, so much she wants to do in this moment, but she will honor Juliana’s wishes and not push her further on the subject. She places a delicate kiss at the edge of Juliana’s jaw as a response, a silent ‘thank you’, and burrows into her neck.

____

“Goodnight, Val.”

____

“Goodnight, Juls.”

____

* * *

____

Valentina’s internal clock is the worst. She slowly opens her eyes, pouting at her inability to sleep in past eight no matter how tired she is. Her pout turns into a smile when she sees Juliana sleeping peacefully beside her. They shuffled at some during the night so that Valentina is on her back with Juliana curled into her. Even if Valentina wanted to move, she couldn’t. Not with Juliana’s leg thrown over hips and her arm wrapped snugly around her midsection.

____

Valentina places a kiss on the top of Juliana’s head and pulls her out phone. After replying to a few messages from her brother and father, she goes through her instagram feed. She sees a picture posted by Nick from Friday of him, Kenzie, and Juliana at the beach. She smiles as she likes the picture and clicks on his profile to see more of his posts.

____

She gets through a good amount before she clicks onto Kenzie’s instagram. As Valentina scrolling through her profile, she pauses on a semi recent selfie of her and Juliana wearing matching tank tops with a bar logo and a backdrop of alcohol behind them.

____

“That’s where Kenzie and I work.” Juliana’s raspy voice startles Valentina.

____

She jolts a little as a light pink hue dusts across her cheeks at having been caught stalking Kenzie’s instagram. Juliana chuckles at her reaction and leans on her elbow to look down at her with an amused smile.

____

“Morning.” There’s a teasing lilt to her voice.

____

Valentina smiles sheepishly and puts her phone away. “Good morning.”

____

“Oh please, don’t stop on my account.” Juliana continues to tease her.

____

“Juls, stop.” Her cheeks flame up even more.

____

Juliana chuckles as she gives Valentina a peck on the lips. “Sorry. I just like seeing you flustered.”

____

She smirks at that. “Yeah, I’m sure you do.”

____

Juliana smirks back and kiss her agin. Valentina cups her jaw to keep her in place, enjoying the feeling of Juliana’s lips on her. They kiss languidly, Valentina taking her time and indulging in what she can, knowing their time is coming to an end soon.

____

When they finally pull back, Juliana tucks herself back into Valentina’s side and draws aimless patterns on her skin.

____

“What time is it?” Juliana asks quietly, like she’s afraid of the answer.

____

Valentina pulls her phone out to check the time. “It’s almost nine.”

____

Juliana hums and places a gentle kiss other collarbone.

____

“What time are you leaving?” Valentina asks in a small voice.

____

“We have to be out of the casita by eleven.”

____

Valentina nods, but doesn’t comment. She sighs knowing they’ll have to get up very soon so she holds Juliana a little tighter, basking in their naked skin pressed together, and runs her hand through her dark brown hair.

____

When Juliana sits up and stretches, it takes everything in Valentina not to pin her to the bed. She watches in disappointment as Juliana heaves herself off the bed and redresses into the pajamas she was wearing the night before. Once she’s finished dressing she sits at the edge of the bed and places her hand over Valentina’s.

____

“I’m going to go get ready. You’re not going anywhere, are you?” She asks with pinched eyebrows.

____

Valentina smiles as she eases the worry line in Juliana’s eyebrow with her thumb and pulls her in for a sweet kiss.

____

“I’ll see you out there.” Valentina assures her.

____

“Okay, good.” Juliana smiles back and rises from the bed. She gives Valentina a little wave before she exits the van. 

____

Valentina groans as she throws herself back and covers her face with her hands. “Ay, Valentina.” She mumbles to herself.

____

She forces herself off her bed and goes about her usual morning routine. As she’s brushing her teeth, she sees the extra toothbrush she gave to Juliana to use the day before, and with a heavy heart, tosses it into her waste bin knowing there won’t be any use for it anymore. Twenty minutes later she steps out of her van, ready to face what the day brings her.

____

Valentina stretches as she adjusts to the morning sun when she hears a soft scraping sound coming from the backyard. Curiously, she rounds her van and heads through the gate to see Nick scrubbing her grill clean with one hand while chugging a beer in his other hand. She snorts as she takes in the scene and walks up to him quietly.

____

“Isn’t it a bit early for that?” She asks.

____

Nick jolts as he nearly spits up the beer in his mouth. “What the fu— Jesus, Valentina! You scared the shit out of me.”

____

Valentina smirks at his reaction. “Sorry, my bad.”

____

He gives her a skeptical look and hands an unopened can of beer to her. “Want one?”

____

“Sure.” Valentina takes it gratefully. “You don’t have to do that you know.” She nods at her grill.

____

Nick looks down at it, then back up to her with a shrug. “It really isn’t a problem.”

____

“Well thank you. For cleaning my grill and for the morning beer.” She clinks their cans together in cheers and knocks the drink back.

____

“How are you guys drinking right now?” Kenzie steps out from the casita with her sunglasses in place and a steaming mug of coffee in her hands.

____

“How are you not?” Nick retorts and releases a loud burp.

____

“Jesus dude. Who raised you?” Juliana joins everyone in the backyard, sporting a grossed out face.

____

“You have my mom’s number if you want to file a complaint.”

____

Juliana laughs as she wraps her arms around Valentina. “I’d never file a complaint against Elena. She did her best, it’s not her fault you turned out the way you did.”

____

Valentina leans back into the embrace and sips on her beer as Juliana and Nick take turns roasting each other. The closeness of their relationship is reaffirmed by how savage the jabs get with no actual malice or offense taken by either of them. Valentina doesn’t know how they’re able to brush off the words so easily, she thinks she’d probably hide away for a few days and lick her wounds if she were in their positions.

____

“As amazing as this is, and believe me, I’m enjoying myself… We really need to start cleaning and packing up.” Kenzie says as she rises from her seat.

____

“Truce?” Nick asks.

____

“Truce.” Juliana nods. 

____

They all head inside to start packing up. Valentina sits at the kitchen island and watches as they move around each other like synchronized tornados, swirling around each other as they collect their belongings and pick up any lingering trash to be thrown out. She offers her help in cleaning up, but none of them will hear of it, telling her to relax while they deal with their mess. They take a small break to heat up the leftovers from the night before as a pseudo breakfast and scarf it down quickly so they can get back to packing. Valentina takes her time with her food as she watches them, completely amused.

____

In no time, they’re shoving their things in the trunk of Juliana’s car. Nick helps Valentina put her grill back into its place in her van as Juliana and Kenzie do a final sweep of casita to make sure they didn’t leave anything behind. Valentina finishes locking up the back door as the women exit the gate and secure the latch and join her and Nick by her van.

____

“So I guess this is it?” Valentina tries to keep the disappointment out of her voice as she looks at the faces of some of the best people she’s ever met in her life.

____

The three friends looks at each other and seem to communicate with each other nonverbally. Valentina looks between them with a bemused expression and waits to see where this is going.

____

Juliana nods at Nick and Kenzie, then smiles at Valentina. “Well it’s still pretty early, why don’t we hang out at the beach for a bit before we take off?”

____

Valentina bites her lip to taper down the huge smile that wants to break across her face. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

____

“I’ll ride with you!” Nick perks up, excitedly.

____

Kenzie snorts while Juliana gives him an unimpressed look. “No, I think you’ll be more comfortable riding with Kenzie in the car.”

____

She hands her keys to Kenzie and sidles up next to Valentina while Nick pouts at her. He doesn’t fight it though, he just continues to sulk like a petulant child as he follows Kenzie to the car. Before he gets into the passenger seat, he shoots another pout their way and Valentina needs to hide her chuckle behind her hand a Juliana rolls her eyes at him.

____

“A literal child.” Juliana chides with a shake of her head.

____

“I feel bad. Maybe we should let him ride with us.” Valentina jokes.

____

Juliana’s eyes narrow at her. “No, Val. If you humor him, he’ll think his behavior is okay.”

____

Valentina throws her head back and laughs. “You’re right, sorry.”

____

She rounds to the side of her van and opens the door for Juliana to climb in. She shuts the door and is immediately pressed against it firmly. Juliana’s lips are on hers in an instant and Valentina melts into her. They indulge for just a few minutes before Juliana pulls away with a small smile.

____

“Sorry, I just didn’t know if I’d get another chance to kiss you like that.” She whispers.

____

Valentina bites her lip. “It’s okay, I was worried about that too.”

____

They share a look of understanding. Juliana presses her lips against Valentina one last time before she tucks a tendril behind her ear and pulls away completely. Valentina clears her throat and follows behind Juliana to the front of her van. They pull up to the beach almost instantly. Kenzie parks beside her as Valentina works on opening up her van. Juliana helps her set up the canopy as Nick lays out their blanket underneath it. 

____

They lounge on the blanket lazily as they talk about whatever comes to mind. Juliana has her head in her lap and Valentina runs her fingers through her dark brown hair. She admires the natural highlights that can only be seen up close as it glints in the sunlight.

____

“So, Valentina. You’ll come visit us in Mérida soon, right?” Nick’s voice pulls her attention away from Juliana.

____

“Uh…” Valentina hesitates, not sure how to respond. 

____

It’s not that she doesn’t want to visit, because she’d definitely love to see these delightful people again. But it would throw off her plans to make it down to Quintana Roo’s coast before summer’s end a little tricky. Besides, she’s not sure if that’s something Juliana would even want. She glances down and sees the woman in question shooting Nick a warning look, and Valentina deflates at the implication. 

____

Valentina tries to appear unaffected when she answers. “Sorry, but I don’t think so, Nick.”

____

Nick stares blankly at Juliana before they drift up to meet Valentina’s. “Well, if you ever find yourself in our city, don’t be afraid to swing by and say hi. We’d love to see you again.”

____

She gives him a closed-lip smile and nods, not sure how else to respond. Luckily she doesn’t have to dwell on it, because Kenzie is quick to change the topic, and just like that, it’s like the subject is dropped. Valentina is grateful for Kenzie’s ability to move things along naturally and is thankful she doesn’t have to put much thought into Nick’s words and Juliana’s reaction to them.

____

They spend a few more hours on the beach hanging out and drinking beer. Valentina knows she’s working on borrowed time as she indulges in the company of the friends, and in the proximity of Juliana. As much as she’d like to put off the inevitable, she’s readied herself for the moment the trio agree they need to start heading home.

____

Nick and Kenzie take turns giving her a hug and promising to keep in contact as much as possible, and Valentina returns their embrace and sentiment wholeheartedly. The goodbyes are twinged with sadness, but Valentina will forever and always be grateful that she met these beautiful people. She waves at them as they head towards the car and turns to face Juliana.

____

The two women exchange bashful smiles. There’s so much Valentina wants to say, but she bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from blurting any of it out. As much as she would love to say what’s on her mind, she understands that nothing will come of it. She understands that there are some people who are destined to meet, but aren’t destined to remain in each other’s lives.

____

“I’m not sure…” Valentina trails off, at a loss for words. A standard goodbye seems insufficient, but anything more and she risks saying something too meaningful, too honest. 

____

“Me neither.” Juliana replies with a soft knowing smile. She opens her arms out to Valentina. “Come here.”

____

Valentina doesn’t hesitate in connecting their bodies and wrapping her arms snugly around Juliana. She tucks her face into Juliana’s neck and savors as much as she can, everything from the comforting hug to her fragrance that’s a mixture of saltwater, shea butter, and something so distinctly Juliana. Valentina lifts her head so she can look into Juliana’s eyes. She brushes their noses together gently before she dips in for a kiss. It’s soft and lingering and everything Valentina cannot put into words. It’s a tender goodbye.

____

Juliana rests her forehead on Valentina’s and sighs wistfully. “I have to get going now.”

____

“I know.” Valentina whispers.

____

Juliana stands up straighter but doesn’t move out of Valentina’s space. Instead she laces their fingers together and lets their hands swing in between them.

____

“What Nick was saying earlier, about you coming to Mérida,” Juliana starts. “He has a way of getting ahead of himself. I adore that about him, but sometimes it can put people on the spot and make them feel obligated.”

____

Valentina nods, knowing where this is going. Whatever this is between them, it’s only a vacation romance. Something to think back fondly on, but never to be pursued. Besides, Valentina’s lifestyle hardly leaves room for anything substantial, so it’s not like she can fault Juliana for wanting to establish a clear boundary that she doesn’t want crossed.

____

“I know he’s invited you a few times now, but don’t feel like you have to come to Mérida.” She continues, but pauses and bites her lip as she looks away. “That being said… if you do happen to find yourself in our city at some point, we would love to see you again.”

____

Juliana’s dark chocolate brown eyes meet Valentina’s ocean blues again. There’s an unmistakable hint of hope in Juliana’s eyes that surprises her. It makes her second guess everything she’s believed to be certain.

____

“Yeah,” Valentina smiles at Juliana, broadly. “If I’m ever in your city, I’d love to see you, too.”

____

A light blush spreads across Juliana’s cheeks as she clears her throat. “Well, I guess I should get going.”

____

“Yeah, it’s about that time.” Valentina agrees with a small pout on her lips.

____

Juliana lets go of her hands and backs away slowly towards her car where Nick and Kenzie are waiting. Valentina folds her arms across her chest as she watches as the friends pile in the car and get themselves situated. Her eyes lock with Juliana’s from her spot in the passenger seat. She holds her hand out in a small wave and smiles when the gesture is returned just before Kenzie puts the car in gear and drives off.

____

Valentina watches as the car disappears down the road and does her best to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

____

* * *

____

Only a day and a half passes before Valentina can’t take it anymore and decides to leave Sisal. Suddenly, the quaint town that endeared her now feels too small, too empty. She spent the following day after the departure of Juliana, Nick, and Kenzie holed up in her van, sketching and writing in her journal. She didn’t feel the urge to enjoy the beach or exhibit any of her artwork for strangers to connect with. 

____

She forced herself to leave the comfort of her bed late in the afternoon to explore a little more of the town and photograph some of her findings, but nothing jumped out at her. Instead, she delivered the portraits of the locals who let her keep their photographs and thanked them for their kindness. Her interactions with them perked her up a little, but it was quick to fade away when the passed the casita on the way back to her van.

____

Valentina stood outside of the gate as the unlit house blended in with the night, the liveliness she’d grown accustomed to is now gone. It was that moment she decides to leave. To head for Progreso and bask in the rowdiness the town has to offer. To get swept up in the crowds and forget about the hollowness that’s taken up residence in her chest.

____

Valentina yawns as she settles in the driver’s seat and pulls out her phone for directions to Progreso. Her face scrunches in confusion when her phone gives her an obscure route to the town. She tries to see if she can divert it in any way, but there are no options. Frustrated, Valentina closes out the app and tries a different app only to receive the same set of directions.

____

She huffs out in annoyance and exits her van to head into town. It’s fairly early, so some of the places she passes are closed, but sees the bar from the other night open and serving breakfast. Valentina enters and sees the bartender from before at his station wiping down some glasses.

____

“Hi, sorry to bug, but can I ask you a question?” She approaches the bar, getting his attention.

____

“Oh, hi again! What can I do for you?” He shoots her a smile.

____

“So I’m trying to get to Progreso from here, but for some reason my phone is giving me crazy, out of the way directions. Is there a coastal road where I can just straight shot it there?”

____

The bartender winces as she shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry. The only costal road leads to private homes and stops short a few miles away from Progreso. The land is too patchy, so a proper road can’t be built.”

____

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek as she holds up her phone. “So, this is the only way Progreso then?”

____

He nods with an apologetic smile. “Yeah, unfortunately you’ll have to head down to Mérida and take the highway up to Progreso.”

____

“Okay, thanks for your help.” Valentina smiles weakly at him and barely waits for his reply before she’s out the door.

____

She walks back to her van in a brisk pace, slamming her door shut once she’s back in the driver’s seat. Valentina isn’t sure where this sudden irritation is coming from, but she feels overwhelmed at the idea of having to head into the city. She hoped she’d be able to bypass the city altogether, not make a beeline the first chance she gets.

____

She looks at the directions again and sees an alternative way to Progreso that involves a lot of back streets and an additional half hour to her drive, but avoids her having to actually enter Mérida. Valentina sets her jaw and starts her van to begin her two hour drive to Progreso.

____

An hour and a half into the drive, and Valentina comes up to the junction to merge onto highway 261 to Progreso. Her grip on the steering wheel tightens as she reads two different signs. One sign directs her stay in her lane in order to merge north to Progreso. The other has an arrow pointing in the other direction south for Mérida. For a split second, Valentina’s finger hovers over her turn signal as she battles with herself on what to do. The decision is made for her when a barricade forms between the two lanes to diverge the paths. With no other choice but to follow her merging lane north, Valentina presses a little harder on the gas.

____

* * *

____

Valentina pulls up to the curb and parks her van. She looks around the dark street only barely lit by a few lampposts, then back to the map on her phone, wondering if she somehow got the wrong directions. She exits out of the app and opens instagram, going her to dm’s and typing out a message.

____

She leans back in her seat as she waits for the reply. Briefly, she considers driving off. Heading to Puerto de Abrigo like she initially planned, but she knows the attempt will be futile. She barely lasted two days in Progreso before she had the urge to leave. It was the completely opposite of Sisal, yet the town didn’t offer Valentina the escape she was looking for. If she were to head to Puerto de Abrigo now, she knows she’ll be met with the same feeling of dissatisfaction.

____

Her phone dings, signaling an incoming message. She checks the message and and furrows her eyebrows in confusion as she reads it. She types back a response and gets a quick reply back.

____

__

> ____
> 
> _Nick: Trust me, just head in!_

Valentina shakes her head a little confused, but exits her van and makes her way towards the bar on the other side of the street. She hesitates by the door as she reads the sign wondering why it seems vaguely familiar, but shrugs it off as she pushes past the entrance. 

____

It’s fairly packed for a Thursday night. Valentina looks around, but doesn’t see Nick anywhere in sight. She slowly makes her way towards the bar, keep her eye opened for him, but still coming up short. Guessing he’s on his way over, Valentina turns to take at seat at the bar, but stops short when she sees a familiar face behind the bar.

____

Dark chocolate eyes lock onto hers, and Valentina is sure she’s wearing the same look of surprise on her face as Juliana. It takes the women a few moments to come back to themselves. Slowly, a happy smile spreads on Juliana’s face as she drinks Valentina in with her eyes, almost like she’s in disbelief she’s actually there.

____

__Valentina feels the responding smile break across her own face. Her nerves are on fire, but she doesn’t mind. She can’t mind when she’s standing across from Juliana while she’s smiling at Valentina like_ that_.

Valentina steps forward and slides into a seat at the bar, never breaking eye contact with Juliana. Her stomach does back flips as Juliana’s smile grows wider and her eyes shine brilliantly, and she finally breaks the silence to greet the beautiful woman in front of her.

“Hi, Juls.”

“Hi, Val.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone, I hope you liked it! Sending my love to all of you


	2. Part II - A

There’s a comfortable silence that settles over the women as they stare at each other with equally delighted smiles on their faces. Valentina is overcome with a rush of giddiness, and starts drumming her fingers on the bar. She receives an endeared quirk of an eyebrow from Juliana, and a light blush forms on her face as she clasps her hands together to keep them still. 

Juliana chuckles and finally speaks up. “What’re you doing here? I thought you’d be halfway down the Yucatán coast by now.”

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek as she thinks about what to say. “Yeah, me too. I guess plans have a way of changing.”

Juliana’s expression softens exponentially as she gazes at Valentina. “Yeah, I guess so.” She murmurs. 

Again, they find themselves lost in each other’s eyes. Valentina thinks if the bar wasn’t in between them she would’ve already pulled Juliana in for a kiss. And maybe it’s a good thing that it is, because she isn’t sure how it would’ve been received. Sure, Juliana is glad to see her, but that isn’t exactly an invitation for them to resume right where they left off in Sisal.

Juliana bites her lip as she leans forward on the bar and narrows her eyes playfully. “And how did you find me?”

Valentina leans forward as well, and replies cryptically, “I have my ways.”

Juliana smirks at her. “Oh yeah? Were you scrolling through Kenzie’s Instagram again?”

It suddenly clicks into place why the bar’s logo seemed so familiar to her as she was walking inside. She feels her cheeks heat up again. 

“ _No_.” She says, aghast.

“Mhm, sure.” Juliana gives her a skeptical nod as she pulls back to stand up straight.

A small scoffs escapes Valentina as her jaw drops. She opens her mouth to give a retort, but a customer at the end of the bar waves Juliana’s down for another drink. She holds a finger up to Valentina signaling for her to wait, as she moves to serve the patron. Her blue eyes follow every movement of the dark haired woman, as she talks and laughs with the customers while filling a few pint glasses with beer. Valentina’s so focused on Juliana that she doesn’t notice someone approaching from her right.

“Hey.” A male voice breaks through her trance.

Valentina turns her head to see a guy around her age standing a few feet away smiling at her. She does her best not to grimace at him. It’s not that he’s bad looking, far from it actually, with his jet back hair and pleasant smile, but Valentina can’t be bothered to care for any of it. Not when Juliana is right there, looking so captivating and in her element behind the bar.

“Hello.” She smiles back politely as a million ways to get rid of him filters though her mind.

His smile grows and he steps closer. “I was sitting over there when saw you walk in, and I just knew I had to—”

“Daniel,” Juliana’s authoritative voice rings out, cutting him off. Valentina looks over to see her with a cocktail shaker in her hands as she levels the guy with stern expression. “No.”

“Oh hey, Juliana. I was just—” He starts, but she doesn’t let him finish.

“Yeah I know, but no.”

“But I—”

“ _No_.” She draws out the word as she shakes her head at him.

Daniel visibly deflates and turns to Valentina with a crestfallen expression. “Sorry, miss.”

Valentina holds back a smile. “No worries.”

Daniel walks away and Valentina looks back at Juliana with an amused smile. She earns a cheeky wink in return, and can’t help but chuckle at the response. Once she’s finished serving her customers and helping the other bartender prep some of his drinks, Juliana stands in front of Valentina again. She places her hands on her hips and sports a small sheepish grin on her face.

“Sorry about that. Daniel’s a nice guy, but he’s also a self-proclaimed lady’s man. I wanted to save you from that.” Her brown eyes widen as she stumbles over her words. “I mean— not that I think you need saving or anything! You’re more than capable of saving yourself, I just— I didn’t…”

She trails off, and blows out a big breath as a pink hue coats her cheeks. Valentina rests her chin on her back of her hands and scrunches her nose at Juliana, teasingly. 

“My hero.” She bats her eyes at the dark haired woman.

Juliana hangs her head and sighs in resignation. When she looks back up at Valentina, the blush is gone but her expression is bashful. Valentina bites her lip to hold in the giggle she desperately wants to let out. Instead, she takes in a deep breath and gives Juliana a heartening smile.

“So, what do you have on tap?” She changes the subject, while glancing at all of the beer handles on display.

“Oh, I have the perfect drink for you.” Juliana smirks at her and reaches for a pint glass. 

She scoops a little bit of ice into the glass and grabs a nozzle from behind the bar, filling it up with a clear liquid. She places it in front of Valentina, who eyes it dubiously. Valentina brings it to her nose to sniff it gingerly before taking a small sip. Her eyes narrow at Juliana when she lets out a hearty laugh as she watches Valentina.

“Did you just sniff at the water I poured you?” Juliana asks incredulously.

Indignation rises in Valentina as her eyes narrow even more. “I wasn’t sure what it was!”

Juliana laughs again. “Considering I didn’t see you drinking an ounce of water this past weekend, I’m not even slightly surprised.” 

Valentina pouts at her as she takes a longer pull of the hydrating beverage, almost as if to prove her wrong. Juliana’s smile widens at the act as her hands find her way onto her hips again. Something catches her attention as her eyes glance over Valentina’s shoulder, and a look of sudden realizes takes over her expression.

“So _that’s_ how you found me!” She gives Valentina a knowing smile.

Confused, Valentina is about to question her, but Juliana stalks away to do her rounds with her customers before she can. Suddenly, a firm hand clasps her shoulder and she jumps in surprise, letting out a squeak and spilling some of her water on the counter. A familiar booming laugh echos around the bar as Nick takes a seat to her left.

“You are such a dick.” Valentina half jokes in between her disbelieving laugh as she shakes her head at him.

“Isn’t he?” Kenzie’s voice pipes up as she takes the seat on Valentina’s right. “It’s because of his small dick energy.”

Valentina snorts as she flings her arm around Kenzie in greeting and they both level Nick with a mocking smile. He narrows his hazel eyes at them with a pout.

“Excuse me? I am the epitome of big dick energy.” He argues, affronted.

Valentina squints as she pretends to take him in. “No, I’d say you got more of that dumb dick energy going on.”

Kenzie bursts out laughing as her jaw drops. Nick places a hand over his heart and gives Valentina the most incredulous look she’s ever seen him wear.

“Valentina!” He exclaims around a laugh. “My _god_ , dude.”

Valentina laughs as she blows him a kiss and a wink. Juliana appears in front of them again, wiping down the damp bar with a cloth as she looks between them, quizzically.

“Do I even want to know?” She asks with a bemused smile.

“Valentina is officially my favorite person.” Kenzie replies between her laughter.

“Your girl just annihilated me, Juli.” Nick says, still in shock. “Literally dragged my ass.”

Valentina tries not to appear affected by his words, but can’t stop herself from flushing a little bit. Juliana for her part, doesn’t acknowledge Nick’s comment, and instead looks at Valentina with an expectant smile.

“I told him he has dumb dick energy.” Valentina explains.

Juliana’s eyes slide over to Nick and she lets out a scathing chuckle at his expense. “Where’s the lie, though?”

Nick rolls his eyes, then shrugs. “Yeah, it’s actually pretty accurate.” He reaches for Valentina’s glass and sniffs at it. “What is this?”

Valentina smirks, feeling a sense of vindication. Her eyes shift to Juliana, who’s hanging her head back in exasperation.

“Water, Nick. It’s water.” She tells him with a pained expression.

“Yeah, no shit it’s water. I mean, why is it here?” He puts the glass far away from them as possible. “Where are the drinks, Valdés?”

“Have you checked the urinals? I think I saw yours in there.” Juliana retorts as she grabs the displaced glass and puts it back in front of Valentina.

Valentina picks up the water and drinks it swiftly as her eyes flicker between the two friends. She leans away from them and closer to Kenzie. The blonde for her part, leans her chin on Valentina’s shoulder as she watches them with an entertained smile.

Nick’s eyes narrow at Juliana, and she returns the gesture as she leans on the bar directly in front of him. They stare each other down for a few moments until Nick breaks and begins chuckling, causing Juliana to join in on the laughter. She pulls back and grabs a glass, filling it with a beer on tap. She places it in front of him, and begins gathering ingredients from around the bar.

Valentina’s blue eyes follow Juliana as she moves around the bar with ease, pouring everything into a shaker. She watches in awe as Juliana mixes a drink together seamlessly, and pours it out into a coupe. She tops it off with champagne and garnishes it with a lemon, before setting it front of Kenzie.

Kenzie takes a sip of it and groans in appreciation. “You’re the only other person I trust to make my drink exactly how I like it.”

Valentina peers at it curiously. “What is it?”

Kenzie holds it out for her to try. “It’s a French 75. Literally the best drink ever.”

Valentina takes a sip hums appreciatively. “Wow, that’s really good!”

“It also helps that Juli is the best at making cocktails.” She shoots Juliana a wink, as Valentina hands the glass back to her.

Juliana puckers her lips at Kenzie, then turns to Valentina. “What’s your favorite drink? I can make it for you.” 

“Oh… I don’t really have one. I usually stick to beer.” She answers.

“It’s the superior drink.” Nick nods as he slams his nearly empty glass on the bar.

“Not even close.” Juliana grimaces at him.

“Just because you guys are bartenders…” Nick starts. “You _swear_ —”

“No, no, no.” Kenzie cuts him off. “It’s not our fault you have a terrible palate.”

“My palate is not terrible, you guys are just snobs.” Nick grumbles as he polishes off his beer and holds it out for Juliana, who rolls her eyes at him.

She refills the glass as she regards Valentina again. “Are you sure there isn’t a drink I can make you?”

Valentina shrugs. “If I’m drinking liquor I usually sip on mezcal. I don’t usually mix it with anything.”

Juliana looks like she’s mulling over Valentina’s words. “If I were to make you a drink with mezcal in it, would you try it?”

Valentina nods as she considers it. “Yeah I would.”

Juliana makes the drink and places it in front of her. Valentina picks it up and jokingly sniffs at it, causing Juliana to let out an amused huff. She brings the cocktail to her lips and takes a sip. Her eyebrows shoot up and she gives Juliana a surprised smile before taking a bigger drink.

“So you like it?” Juliana asks with an amused smile.

“This is amazing! What is it?” She asks.

“Mezcal Mule. All the same ingredients of a Moscow Mule, but instead of vodka, I put mezcal in it and top it off with a lime White Claw.”

“This is definitely my favorite drink now.” Valentina says as she carefully cradles the glass to her chest.

“Oh, you know what drink is really good? The one you make with the mint leaves and White Claw.” Nick says as he cranes his neck to peer over at Kenzie.

“You mean the Mojito with lime White Claw instead of club soda?” Kenzie asks.

Nick nods his head enthusiastically. “Yeah that one! It’s so good, and I don’t even like rum that much.”

“Mojito? Oh, it’s because you only like girly cocktails, right Nick?” A sardonic voice cuts through their conversation.

Valentina looks over to see the other bartender approaching them. He comes to stop right next to Juliana, a little too close for Valentina’s liking, and cross his arms over his chest. The smirk he gives Nick is haughty, and it’s very clear he’s trying to get a rise out of him. Valentina feels, more than sees, Nick tensing up. His usually playful eyes narrow, and for a moment she worries about how this interaction will play out.

Her worry dissipates quickly. Instead of saying anything, Nick takes a leisure pull of his beer. He sets his glass down and levels the bartender with a look of bored indifference and replies in the calmest voice Valentina has ever heard from him.

“A good drink is a good drink. Don’t assign cocktails to certain genders just because you have masculinity issues.”

Valentina watches in satisfaction as the guy’s smug expression sours and his arms drop to his sides. He stands there for a moment, stunted. It’s obvious it’s not the reply he was expecting and is now unsure of what to say. When he finally gathers his bearings and opens his mouth to give a retort, Kenzie abruptly cuts him off.

“Victor, don’t you have a job to do? Some people are looking thirsty over there.” She waves him off dismissively.

His dark eyes cut over to her and his face immediately softens. “I didn’t realize you were working tonight, Kenzie.” He tries to joke, but it falls flat.

“No, I’m obviously not, but you are. So why don’t you get back to work.” She retorts with a fake polite smile.

Victor’s lips press into a flat line and he nods mutely before sulking away. Valentina glances over to see Juliana looking after Victor with complete disdain and wholeheartedly agrees with the sentiment. As far as first impressions go, Valentina is definitely not a fan of his.

“I’m surprised no one has knocked him on his ass yet.” Nick mutters into his drink.

“I can take a shot at it if you want.” Juliana offers with a hopeful expression.

Nick smirks at her and raises his eyebrows, silently egging her on. Juliana quirks an eyebrow back at him, getting emboldened by their nonverbal exchange. Valentina’s eyes flicker back and forth between the two friends, like she’s watching a tennis match, and her worry resurfaces. Thankfully, Kenzie is there to intervene. 

“No, this is not happening. Juliana, you can’t go around knocking out your employees. And Nick, _stop_ encouraging her. I swear you two…” She shakes her head as she takes a big gulp of her drink.

Valentina’s lips turn up in amusement. From what she’s gathered in this tight-knit family’s dynamic is that they each share one braincell, and it belongs solely to Kenzie. She has a lot of appreciation for the blonde who can rein in the chaotic energy that manifests whenever Nick and Juliana get worked up over something. In fact, Valentina isn’t sure how the two managed to survive before Kenzie moved in with them.

Nick pouts, but doesn’t argue with her. Juliana, for her part, nods slowly as she thinks about Kenzie’s words. Almost as though it just occurred to her that she can’t go around knocking people out at work. Again, Valentina smiles in amusement as she watches the woman behind the bar. She bites her lip, completely endeared by Juliana and the way she carries herself. Valentina can’t pinpoint it exactly, but it’s somewhere between whimsical ease and unassuming, cheeky confidence. She never would have guessed those combinations would be so magnetic to her, but here she is.

Juliana’s chocolate brown eyes land on her, and immediately a wide, shit-eating grin spreads across her face. Valentina feels her own smile grow in response, and the two women get caught up in their own little world. It isn’t until a customer gets Juliana’s attention that their moment is broken. Juliana steps away to tend bar, and Valentina takes a long sip of her Mezcal Mule.

“I’m glad you decided to come visit us.” Kenzie gets her attention.

She gives the blonde a shy smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Kenzie confirms, nodding.

Valentina sets her drink down and chances a quick glance at Juliana, who is busy pouring drinks, before focusing her eyes back to the tumbler resting between her hands. The nerves that had evaporated the moment she saw Juliana standing behind the bar come back at full force, and it leaves her feeling hesitant.

“We’re all happy you’re here.” Nick adds on, noticing her anxiety.

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek and looks between the two friends. “You guys don’t think my visit may be a bit presumptuous?”

“Not at _all_.” Kenzie emphatically shakes her head. “Babe, we want you here.”

“Yeah, I only invited you like, a hundred times. I was actually bummed, because I didn’t think you were ever going to take me up on my offers.” Nick half jokes. 

Valentina chuckles at that, but continues to look down at her glass. Their words are reassuring, but there’s still something about Valentina’s choice to come to Mérida that still doesn’t quite settle with her.

“What is it?” Kenzie asks her. Valentina looks at her quizzically, so she continues. “What’s making you question yourself?”

Valentina sighs as she thinks about how to phrase her worries. There are so many layers to it that she isn’t exactly sure where to start. After a few moments of silence, she decides to share the only concern she is able to articulate.

“Juliana and I shared a lot of amazing moments back at Sisal, but she was just enjoying her vacation. All of a sudden I show up at her work after a few days apart? I mean, that’s insane! I think I’m romanticizing this whole thing.” Valentina shakes her head at herself, and looks between them again, hoping to find some clarity on her situation.

Nick looks at Kenzie, who arches her eyebrow at him and cocks her head to the side. Nick squints his eyes ever so slightly, then looks at Valentina. She waits for him to say something, anything really, but he hesitates and expels a small huff.

“Look,” He finally says, “You’re here, right? Well, there’s a reason for that. You might not have clarity on what that reason is, but it’s there. Personally, I think you might be overthinking all of this.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Kenzie agrees. “You say you think you’re romanticizing everything, but do you really _feel_ like you are? And whatever that answer is, don’t you think Juli feels the same way?”

Valentina takes a moment to let their words wash over her. A huge part of her doesn’t want to acknowledge them, but she knows it’ll only be because she wants to lie to herself. Truthfully, following her gut, her feelings, is what led her here. To this moment, sitting on this barstool in between Kenzie and Nick, contemplating why she threw out her longstanding plans just to see a woman she spent no more than forty-eight hours with total.

Valentina bites her lip as she tries to find the answer to the question. She feels like it’s there, in the outskirts of her mind, but she still can’t quite reach it. She looks over at Juliana, and a smile immediately graces her face the moment her eyes land on her. When Juliana notices her stare, her eyes light up, and she beams back at Valentina. A warm feeling spreads across the brunette’s chest, and suddenly, she knows the answer to the question.

* * *

Valentina watches through her rearview mirror as the back of her van slowly edges closer to the garage door. She makes sure to leave an ample amount of space, as she puts the gear in park and shuts off the engine. She lets out a big breath and rests her head on her steering wheel, suddenly feeling fatigued from her long day. The muted sound of a car door closing, and the clanging of a gate being shut causes her to lift her head. She takes another deep breath and slowly steps out of the van.

She shuts the door absentmindedly, and rounds her van as her eyes rake over the modest backyard. There’s a small wooden patio, with comfortable looking furniture, a grill, and lights hanging up from the roof of the house to a couple of beams positioned at the corners of the patio. There’s a step from the patio leading down onto a well-kept lawn with a small garden up against the side wall. The garden has a tall critter fence surrounding it with its own lights hanging around the space. Not too far from it is a small bonfire pit with a ring of dead grass underneath it, showing its frequent use. Valentina smiles at how serene the backyard is, and takes an immediate liking to it.

“Bienvenido!” Nick holds his arms out as he approaches her. “To our humble abode. Or at least the outside of it.”

Valentina chuckles. “It’s amazing!”

Nick eyes her skeptically. “Coming from the woman whose backyard is the entirety of México?”

“Exactly! So take my word for it, your backyard is cute as fuck.” Valentina replies with an arched eyebrow.

He chuckles and tilts his head to the side. “Oh, it’s definitely the cutest. ”

“It should be in a competition for cutest backyard of all time.”

“Dude, it wouldn’t even be a competition. Our backyard is obviously the cutest of them all.”

There’s a moment of silence before they both burst out laughing at the absurdity of their conversation. Valentina wants to attribute it to Nick’s drunken state, but also feels like this conversation would still have happened either way.

Back at the bar, after Valentina’s nerves were quelled by a simple smile from Juliana, the friends continued on with their evening until closing time. Valentina and Kenzie stopped after their second drink, but Nick, who was feeling himself and the atmosphere, had five beers and the reinvented Mojito he had mentioned earlier. When it was time to leave, Kenzie and Juliana practically had to wrestle the keys from him as he jokingly swung them over his head.

Kenzie was finally able to snatch the keys away from him, and they said their goodbyes to Juliana, who had to stay behind to close out the bar with the other staff. Kenzie ushered Nick into the passenger seat of his car, and told Valentina to follow them back to their casa, where she was invited to stay for however long she plans to be in Mérida.

“Hey!” Kenzie call out to them. She’s holding the back door open, expectantly, and gestures to it. “Are you guys coming in, or what?”

Nick slings his arm over Valentina’s shoulder and steers her unsteadily into the casa. They enter into the kitchen and he immediately lets go of her to raid the fridge. Kenzie closes the door behind her as Valentina takes a seat at the round table situated at the left center of the room. She watches amused as Nick rifles through the fridge and pulls out a container with saran wrap and digs in to the meal with his hands.

“Nick, come on. At least use a fork!” Kenzie complains as she moves around him to grab a water bottle. 

“But it’s so much easier this way.” Nick replies with a mouth full of food.

Kenzie rolls her eyes at him and turns to Valentina. “I’d offer you some food, but I don’t think you want any of that. Are you hungry? I can make you something.”

Valentina’s eyebrows shoot up at the offer. By now, it really shouldn’t surprise her how considerate the friends are, but she’s still taken a bit off guard by Kenzie’s thoughtfulness. Even then, it doesn’t feel right having the blonde cook a meal just for her, regardless if she hasn’t eaten since noon.

“Oh, no I’m okay. Thank you, Kenzie.” She reassures, while waving her hands out in front of her.

Unfortunately she’s betrayed by her own body. Before Kenzie can reply, Valentina’s stomach grumbles loudly. Kenzie arches an eyebrow at her, and Nick lowers the container down to look at her with wide eyes.

“Are you sure about that?” Kenzie asks.

Valentina blushes. “Yeah, I’m sure. I have some granola bars in my van I can munch on later.”

The arch of Kenzie’s brow intensifies, and Valentina shrinks a little, feeling like she’s being scolded. Thankfully, Kenzie doesn’t push her, instead she sets the water bottle in front of Valentina and tilts her head towards the rest of the house.

“C’mon, I’ll give you a tour.”

Valentina takes her water and stands from her seat to follow Kenzie through the open doorway leading to the living room. To her right, there’s a corner desk with a computer resting on it. A bookshelf sits next to the desk, filled with different kinds of books, ranging from textbooks to classic fiction, to cookbooks. At the center of the left of the room is the couch facing the far left wall where a flatscreen is mounted, and a rectangular coffee table placed in the space between. Past the couch are two armchairs located right at the base of the bay window with a small round table in the middle of them. There are small house plants everywhere, in the corners of the room, on the coffee tables, the desk, and even a few placed on top of the bookshelf. 

“This is the living room.” Kenzie gestures to the room with her arms spread out.

“It’s the place where we do the most living.” Nick comments from behind her. He’s still carrying the container of food in his hands, and he gives her a smile with cheeks stuffed with food.

Valentina smiles back at him and turns her gaze to Kenzie. “I love it, it’s so homey.”

“Thanks, we all took part in putting the room together.” Kenzie replies as she leads Valentina to the other open doorway that leads to the hallway, but before she can follow her through, something catches her eyes.

“Wait.” Valentina pauses as she looks over at the far end of the wall. “You guys it hung up?”

There, hanging on the wall between an armchair and the front door, is the painting Nick picked out when the friends first met her outside of her van. After finding out the reason they initially went over to speak to her was because of Juliana’s crush, she was certain they only took her artwork to be nice. Seeing it hanging up is very much a pleasant surprise.

“Of course we did, babe!” Kenzie replies.

“Yeah, dude! Your painting is awesome.” Nick says as he steps next to her. “I was gonna hang it in my room, then I was like, nah. It’s more fitting in the living room.”

Valentina rests her arm over her chest as she looks at Nick and Kenzie with such affection. Kenzie laughs as she pulls Valentina inso a side hug and leads her towards the hallway to continue the tour.

She points at the leftmost door. “That’s Nick’s room.”

Nick pushes past them to open his door, and waves for Valentina to follow him in. “Welcome to my domain.”

Valentina looks around the room, impressed by how tidy it is. His bed is in the far corner of the room, with a nightstand right next to it. He has his own desk resting across from the bed, with his laptop, and a few papers scattered around.

“I won’t lie, Nick. I thought it’d be messy.” She jokes.

He smirks at her. “Mama didn’t raise no slob.”

“You do realize you’re eating leftovers out of a container with your hands right?” Kenzie deadpans, with her arms crossed over her chest.

Nick looks down at his hands, then back up at Valentina. “Okay, maybe mama raised a bit of a slob.”

Valentina laughs as she follows the friends out of the room. Kenzie opens the door right next to Nick’s and lets it swing open. Valentina steps into the light rose colored room, having an instant admiration for it. Her bed rests at the center of the rightmost wall with two nightstands on either side. There’s a decorative rug on laying in spot beside her dresser, and a small seat at the far corner of her room near the end of the bed. The color scheme is a combination of the light rose of the wall, white, and gold all through out the room.

“This is your room?” Valentina asks Kenzie, who nods in affirmation. “I’m literally in love.”

“Thanks! Nick likes to make fun of the color of my walls, but he can screw off.”

“I’m just saying, it’s weird to have pink walls!” Nick speaks up from where he’s leaning against the doorframe.

“It’s not even pink!” Kenzie argues back.

“It looks pink.” Nick mumbles his retort.

Valentina chuckles as her eyes continue to wander around the room. She notices her sketch Kenzie picked out, pinned up on her small bulletin board, and feels her chest flood with warmth. It’s nice knowing her artwork isn’t done in vain.

Kenzie and Valentina follow Nick out of the room and down the hallway to the bathroom. It’s a standard bathroom, equipped with all of the essentials, but Valentina notices there are shelves put up solely to have candles and small plants included in the decor.

“And down there is Juli’s room.” Nick says as he points to a door at the end of the L-shaped hallway. “We’ll let her show it to you.”

Valentina’s eyes linger on the door as she nods at his words. They find their way back to the backyard so Valentina can work on opening up her van and getting everything situated for her stay. It takes a few moments for her to extend the roof, and once that’s complete, Nick and Kenzie help her set up the canopy and hang up her electric powered lantern on it. She opens the back and the three get to work on digging out her mini generated, and folded lawn chair and table. 

“Thanks, guys. You didn’t have to help me with all of that.” Valentina says once everything is set up. 

“No worries, babe. We’re more than happy to help.” Kenzie waves her off.

Nick lets out a huge yawn. “Yeah it’s not a problem. I’m ready to crash though, so I think I’m going to head in.”

“I’m tired too.” Kenzie agrees, stifling a yawn of her own. “We’re going to keep the back door unlocked throughout the night, so if you need to use anything, the bathroom, kitchen, or whatever, you’re more than welcome to.”

“Just don’t make a lot of noise or I’ll kick you out.” Nick warns her. “I’m serious, dude. I need my beauty sleep.”

Valentina chuckles and holds her hands up. “I wouldn’t want to mess with that.”

He sends her a playful wink, and bids her and Kenzie goodnight before heading inside the house.

“Are you sure you aren’t hungry?” Kenzie asks her with a semi-worried expression. “I really don’t mind making you something. Or at least pouring you a bowl of cereal.”

Valentina shakes her head. “No really, Kenz. I’m okay. Thank you so much though.”

Kenzie nods at her. “Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Valentina wishes her a goodnight and waits for her to enter the house before heading into her van and closing the door. She shuffles around her stuff, getting out her sleeping clothes and her toothbrush. She lays on her bed, wanting to give time for Nick and Kenzie to use their bathroom before she heads in to use it herself, that way she doesn’t get in the way of their nightly routine.

She’s scrolling through her phone when there’s a knock at her door. Valentina heaves herself off the bed and swings the door open to see Juliana standing there with a small grin and a bag of takeout.

“You hungry?” She asks, and she holds the bag up, tantalizingly.

She tilts her head towards the patio furniture, gesturing for Valentina to come join her. Valentina looks over her shoulder to see the lights surrounding the patio lit up. She looks back at Juliana with a big smile and steps out of her van. She follows the dark haired woman to the wicker couch at the center of the patio, and watches her with keen eyes as she sets the bag down on the small table in front of them and sorts through the food. 

Juliana hands Valentina four tacos wrapped in aluminum foil and a few containers of salsa. She sets a small bag of tortilla chips in between them on the table, and sits back as she unwraps her own food. Juliana squeezes out juice from a lime onto a taco, and bathes it in salsa, before taking a big bite. She turns to look at Valentina with a close-lipped smile as she chews her food happily.

Valentina giggles, and mimics Juliana in prepping her taco. She takes a bite of it, and sends Juliana her own satisfied grin. The women chuckle at themselves, before putting all of their attention to inhaling the meal in front of them.

“Thank you for the food.” Valentina expresses her gratitude as she polishes off the last bit of her taco.

Now that a good ninety percent of their food has been eaten and their initial hunger is gone, they’ve been chatting amicably about whatever comes to mind.

“You’re welcome. Besides, someone has to make sure you eat.” Juliana’s eyebrow ticks up ever so slightly.

She releases a huff. “What did Kenzie tell you?”

Juliana shrugs. “I don’t quite remember the text, but something about you being stubborn and refusing to eat.”

Valentina rolls her eyes playfully. “I wasn’t refusing to eat! Kenzie was offering to cook me a meal, and I wasn’t going to put her out like that.”

Juliana hums. “So thoughtful.”

Valentina huffs again and she nudges Juliana with her arm. “Says the one who brought me food.”

“Well, I was picking some up anyway after I found out what Nick did to the leftovers. That sloppy drunk.” She grumbles as she shakes her head.

Valentina holds the back of her hand up to her mouth as she chuckles around a bite of her chips. There’s a small lull in the conversation for a moment, before Juliana breaks it.

“So, what happened to Progreso?” She asks quietly.

Valentina feels her heart rate spike a little at the question. She holds her finger up to Juliana, signaling to give her a moment to finish the bite of food in her mouth, but really, she’s trying to bide time so she can figure out how to answer that question. Because it is a very good question: what did happen to Progreso? Or to the rest of Valentina’s plans for that matter? She thinks of the canvas safely stored in the cabinet in her van, but quickly banishes any thought of bringing it out.

“What do you mean?” She chooses to go the ambiguous route.

Juliana shrugs as her dark brown eyes roam her face. “No, nothing. I was just wondering. You couldn’t have been there for more than a few days.”

“It was really crowded.” Is all Valentina offers.

Juliana nods, and jokingly narrows her eyes. “I think I warned you about that.”

Valentina chuckles and nods her head as well. “Yeah, you did. I should’ve listened from the start.”

Their chuckles die down, and there’s another lull. Valentina’s nerves rise, wondering just how well Juliana can see through her. How well she was able to pick up on her reluctance to talk freely about her decision to come to Mérida. Before she can spiral, Juliana distracts her when she starts cleaning up their trash. Valentina is quick to help her, and in no time, the table is cleared from their clutter.

Juliana stands, and Valentina follows suit. She rubs her hands together, unsure of what to do with them as she watches Juliana stretch.

She looks at Valentina and gives her a warm smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. Progreso is missing out on having you in its city.”

Valentina blushes and looks down, but doesn’t say anything. When she looks back up at Juliana, her breath catches her throat. She’s looking at Valentina with the softest look she’s ever received. There’s a moment of silence, then Juliana takes a small step forward. She places a lingering kiss on Valentina’s cheek, and pulls back to give her a small smile. She pauses, looking at Valentina as though she’s waiting for her to say something, but against her better judgement, the brunette stays quiet. Juliana nods and takes a step back.

“Sleep well, Valentina.” She whispers, then turns and heads inside.

Valentina watches as Juliana disappears inside the casa, and expels a defeated sigh. She turns and heads into her van, closing the door behind her. She falls face first onto her bed and lets out a loud groan into her pillow.

It’s hard for her not to be frustrated with herself. She wants to be real with Juliana, but in order to do that she has to be real with herself, and Valentina’s not sure she can do that just yet. There are a lot of emotions swirling inside of her, and she isn’t sure how to process any of them. Valentina rolls over and stares up at her ceiling as she runs a hand through her hair. She lies there for a few minutes to clear her head, before getting off the bed and grabbing her toothbrush as she makes her way inside the house.

Valentina emerges from the bathroom twenty minutes later feeling refreshed. She spent most of that time splashing cool water on her face and neck in order to regain some peace of mind. The house is dark, save for a small beam of light illuminating the hallway in a very faint glow. It’s coming from the bottom rift of Juliana’s door, revealing the dark haired woman is still awake. Her body moves on its own accord, and before Valentina can stop herself, she’s lightly rapping her knuckles against the wooden frame.

“Come in.” Juliana’s reply is muffled.

Valentina cracks open the door and peeks her head in to see Juliana sitting on her bed writing in a journal. She looks up and a surprised smile graces her face as she closes the notebook and sets it on her nightstand.

“Hey.” She greets Valentina.

“Hi.”

The brunette steps further into the room, and softly closes the door behind her. She walks a few paces to the center as she looks around. It’s smaller compared to Nick and Kenzie’s rooms, and there is less furniture, but more decor. Juliana’s bed is pushed up against the far corner wall, sitting on a low wooden bed frame. She has a few shelves throughout her room with books, photographs, candles, paintings, and plants placed deliberately on them. There’s a wooden bench at the foot of her bed with another small house plant and neatly folded throw blankets on top of it. 

“What do you think?” Juliana breaks through her appraisal.

Valentina looks over at her with a small smile. “It’s so _you_.”

Juliana bites her lip and tilts her head to the side. “Oh?”

“I mean, I never in a million years would’ve guessed what your bedroom looked like, but now that I’m seeing it, yeah. It’s very much you.” Valentina sits at the edge of the bed, and takes another look around. “Also, I now know who’s responsible for the endless plants scattered around the house.”

Juliana throws her head back and laughs. “There were actually a lot more, but Kenzie made me cut back after she found a spider on the tv remote.”

Valentina chortles and shakes her head. Without thinking, she reaches out and takes Juliana’s hand in hers, and starts playing with her fingers. When she looks back up at the tanned woman, she notices her dark eyes trained on their intertwined hands, and immediately lets go of her hold.

“Sorry.” She mumbles, embarrassed.

Juliana shakes her head and places her hand back in Valentina’s. “I didn’t mind.”

Valentina blushes, but resumes her light caresses on Juliana’s hand. She revels in the soft skin against the pads of her fingers and blushes even harder when a different memory of soft skin invades her thoughts without permission. She clears her throat, hoping it’ll clear her head, and gazes up at Juliana through her eyelashes.

“It was really cool seeing where you work. If I had known you made cocktails like that, I wouldn’t have spent the weekend drinking beer.”

The side of Juliana’s mouth twists up into a sly smile. “Yeah, I’m pretty amazing at what I do.”

Valentina chuckles quietly. “You are. I can’t say the same for your coworker though.”

Juliana frowns. “Who, Victor? Yeah, he’s a smug little shit. He’s lucky I can’t fire him.”

“You have that power?” Valentina raises an eyebrow.

Juliana huffs out a laugh. “I guess you can say I’m technically the manager.”

“Technically?” Valentina asks with a smile.

“I mean, I have the title. Whether or not it actually means anything is a totally different thing.” Juliana shrugs. “Besides, I think I only got the job because I was the only competent person working there at the time.”

“So if you’re the manager, why can’t you fire Victor?”

“He’s the owner’s nephew.” Juliana rolls her eyes.

“Ew.” Valentina makes a face at that.

“Yep. It’s why the douchebag walks around like he’s invincible. Kenzie knows how to handle him though. She’s the perfect Ass Man.”

A bemused laugh bubbles out from Valentina. “The perfect _what_?”

“Ass Man.” Juliana repeats herself, as though it explains everything. “Assistant Manager.”

“Oh!” Valentina exclaims in realization. “You had me worried there for a second.”

Juliana chortles. “Yeah, she hates it when I call her that. Although low-key I think she loves it at the same time.”

She laughs and nudges Juliana. She pretends to fall over and lies back on her bed, pulling Valentina with her. They both turn on their sides, facing each other with their heads resting on the pillows.

“I was really surprised when I saw you earlier.” Juliana murmurs.

“Good surprised, or bad surprised.” Valentina can’t help but to ask.

“Good surprised. Pleasantly surprised. I honestly didn’t think I was ever going to see you again, then suddenly there you were, standing in the middle of my bar looking just as shocked to see me.” She says, as she scoots closer. “And now you’re here.”

“And now I’m here.” Valentina echos, as her throat bobs.

A comfortable since fall over them as they openly gaze at each other. Their hands are still clasped in between them, and Juliana gives hers a soft squeeze. Gently, she releases Valentina’s hand to cup her cheek. The pad of her thumb glides across her cheekbone, just below her eye.

“Have you been sleeping?” Juliana asks, quietly. 

Her eyebrows knit in concern as her eyes trace along Valentina’s face. A small smile plays at the edge of Valentina’s lips at the thought of Juliana worrying about her well-being. It’s something that tugs at her heartstrings, because she can’t remember the last time someone, who isn’t a blood relative, cared about her like this. And she really hasn’t been sleeping, but as much as she enjoys the tenderness Juliana is showing her, she’s not about to confess to that. If she does, then she’ll have to confess as to why she’s had such restless nights since their parting Sunday afternoon.

“More or less.” She replies vaguely.

A nearly imperceptible sigh leaves Juliana. “You should get some sleep.”

“No, you.” She shoots back, childishly.

Juliana bites her lip and shakes her head. “You’re impossible sometimes. You know that?”

Valentina giggles and leans into the hand that’s still cupping her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.” Juliana replies, affectionately.

Her hand moves from Valentina’s cheek to the back of her neck and brings their lips together in a soft kiss. Valentina loses herself in Juliana almost instantly, feeling a sense of relief to have her so close again. The angle of the kiss changes, and with it, the intensity. Valentina moans when their tongues meet, and pushes forward so that she’s straddling Juliana’s waist. It doesn’t take long for the women to pull away from the heated kiss in order to undress each other.

Valentina’s stomach coils when Juliana releases a deep moan the moment their bare bodies come in contact. Her entire body is flushed, and she rests her forehead against Juliana’s, breathing in her wonderful scent. She pulls back and stares adoringly into chocolate brown orbs. Valentina’s pulse quickens as she’s suddenly overcome with the urge to say something meaningful to the woman below her.

“I’m glad I’m here too.” She blurts out. Juliana quirks an eyebrow at her, so she presses on. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier in the backyard. I don’t want you to think I’m not happy to be here, because I am. I’m just not good at verbalizing what I’m feeling sometimes.”

She releases a shaky breath as her heart continues to beat erratically. Valentina isn’t sure if her words were intelligible, or if they’re even appropriate at a time like this, but it’s still the most authentic she’s been with Juliana the entire night. She thinks Juliana must sense this, because her eyebrows rise every so slightly, and a radiant smile slowly stretches across her face. She pulls Valentina into a deep kiss, and rolls them over so she’s on top. Valentina watches in awe as Juliana’s glowing expression turns downright mischievous. She rolls her hips down, teasingly as she traces a finger lightly over Valentina’s nipple. Goosebumps ripple across her skin, and she knows she’s in for one hell of a night.

* * *

The early morning sunlight filters in through the sheer curtains. Valentina opens an eye, and quickly shuts it, scrunching her face at the brightness. If she wasn’t so tired, she’d be able to appreciate the way the natural light enhances the charm of the room. However, Valentina had a really long night, and wants nothing more than to shut the thick drapes resting at the edges of the curtain rod and go back to sleep.

A soft breath dances across her chest. Valentina smiles, and opens her eyes again to look down at the woman cuddled into her. They’re facing each other, but Juliana’s head is resting a little lower on the pillow, so that she’s snuggling into Valentina’s sternum. To the brunette’s delight, Juliana’s leg is, once again, thrown over her hip. The act is so simple, done subconsciously in her sleep, yet Valentina can’t help but to revel in it.

Her hand slides up along Juliana’s thigh, bringing their lower bodies closer together. The embrace feels so intimate to Valentina, as though they’ve done this countless times before, not just a handful at most. Valentina slides her hand up Juliana’s back, tracing it along her spine, and up to the nape of her neck, burying it in her dark, unruly tresses. She scratches soothingly at the spot, as she pulls the woman closer to her and breathes her in. Juliana lets out a content mewl in her sleep, and it sends a flutter through Valentina’s chest.

She stiffens every so slightly as a whirlwind of emotions begin to stir within her. She does her best to taper them down, and bury them in the recess of her mind. Because that is the one thing Valentina will not do. She will not allow her emotions to cloud her judgement any more than they already have. She will not allow herself to give in to something that’s only meant to be short-lived, because what would be the point? It’s not like she’s going to stick around long enough to see it through.

Valentina is a wanderer at heart. Her life belongs out on the road, not tied down to any one place. The last time she forced herself into a box, it left her teetering at the edge of the roof of her family’s two story home, with a nearly empty bottle of mezcal in her hand and tears in her eyes. She remembers looking down at the pool below, debating with her drunken self on the amount of pain it would cause her if she were to let herself fall into the water.

Valentina shakes her head, trying to purge the dark memories from her mind. It’s not like she’ll ever find herself going down that path again. She freed herself from that mental strain, and is no longer burdened by the pressures of her family anymore. Valentina doesn’t have to box herself in, she just has to remind herself of who she is and what she wants. The urge to ramble on will hit her again within a few days, and until then…

She pulls back in order to look down at Juliana. The woman looks so serene in her sleep, and it produces a grin from Valentina. She begins peppering kisses all over Juliana’s face, hoping it would rouse her, but to no avail. Trying a different approach, she presses forward, rolling so that she’s hovering above Juliana, and settles between her legs. Valentina trails open-mouthed kisses all over her neck, chest, and collarbones.

She drags her lips up Juliana’s neck to the shell of her ear, softly cooing for the woman to wake up. For a moment, Valentina thinks it works when she starts stirring, but deflates when dark brown eyes remain closed.

A displeased huff is released from the brunette, as she thinks of one last tactic to put into effect. A sly smirk forms on her face when the perfect idea comes to mind. She pushes the covers off of them and slides her way down Juliana’s body. Valentina settles so that she’s poised above her stomach and runs her hand across it, feeling as the muscles underneath her touch flutter and tighten. Valentina inhales sharply and presses her lips against Juliana’s stomach, blowing a loud raspberry.

Juliana yelps, as her shoulders lift off the mattress. When she sees Valentina laughing devilishly at her reaction, she groans and slumps back down onto the bed, covering her face with her hands. 

“You are so mean.” She grumbles, as she peeks through her fingers.

“Sorry! I promise this wasn’t my first choice.” Valentina replies, once she gains some composure. “I tried to wake you in a nicer way, but you were out cold.”

Juliana drops a hand from her face to look at her skeptically. Valentina giggles and tries to remove her other hand, but Juliana is determined not to let her. She’s finally able to pull it a few inches away from the other woman’s face, but to Valentina’s horror, her grip slips, and Juliana ends up smacking herself in the face. 

Valentina lets out a small gasp, and covers her mouth with her hands. Juliana stares at her stunned, her mouth agape and her eyes full of incredulity. Slowly, Valentina uncovers her mouth, and presses the palm of her hands together, resting them against her lips, as if she’s saying a prayer. She desperately hopes it’ll help keep the laugh that’s bubbling in her chest from escaping. 

“I am _so_ sorry.” She tries to apologize, but a giggle tumbles out despite her efforts.

“Out!” Juliana sits up and points to her door, as she nudges Valentina with her other hand. “Get out of my room.”

Valentina laughs loudly, grasping on to Juliana’s arms to pin them down to her sides. It isn’t easy to do between fits of laughter.

“It was an accident, I didn’t mean to!” She manages to gasp out.

“I swear to god, Valentina, if you don’t leave this room, I will throw you out!” Juliana threatens, still trying to push her off the bed.

If it weren’t for the wide smile adorning her face, Valentina would be worried she might actually be upset. Luckily for her, Juliana has a wonderful sense of humor, and doesn’t mind being the butt of the joke, even if she pretends otherwise.

Valentina is finally able get a firm hold on both of Juliana’s wrists. She drives her back onto the bed, pinning her arms on either side of her head and straddling her for good measure.

“Juls,” She starts, but pauses to take a deep breath as to not laugh again. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me?”

She bites her lip, and makes her eyes as expressive as she can. She knows she’s playing dirty, but what good is her Carvajal charm, if not to get her out of hot water? Valentina watches as Juliana’s disgruntlement slowly vanishes from her face. She gets momentarily caught up in Valentina’s stare, before realizing what’s going on. 

Her brown eyes narrow, but her lips twist into a crooked grin. “I don’t know if I should forgive you. I mean, I haven’t even been awake for ten minutes, yet you’ve managed to scare me half to death and cause me bodily harm.”

Valentina leans down, and lightly brushing her lips against Juliana’s. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to change your mind?”

Juliana bites her lip, and inches closer. “There might be something you can try.”

Without hesitation, Valentina pulls her into a fervent kiss. She continues to pin the other woman down as their tongues battle for dominance. Juliana nips at Valentina’s bottom lip, tugging at it roughly, before letting go and quirking her eyebrow provokingly.

Valentina smirks at the challenge, and moves down Juliana’s body, nipping and sucking harshly at the expanse of skin offered to her. She spends a generous amount of time on her breasts, giving them the proper attention they deserve. Only when Juliana starts showing signs of restlessness does Valentina continue trailing down her body. She makes a brief pitstop at Juliana’s stomach to blow a small raspberry, making them both chuckle. 

She reaches Juliana’s center, and spreads her legs further apart. Valentina inches forward and breathes in the heady scent of her arousal, basking in magnificence that is the woman who’s laid out bare before her. Her tongue glides through slick folds, flattening out along Juliana’s length, then stiffening once she reaches her clit. She feels a hand tangle into her hair, and hears a vibrant moan ring out. Valentina repeats the motion, before dipping her tongue into Juliana’s entrance, and lets out a groan of appreciation.

After a few minutes of indulging in the taste and feeling of Juliana on her tongue, Valentina forces herself to pull back. It’s addicting to say in the least, and if she doesn’t regain some semblance of control, she’ll spend hours quenching her own thirst. Valentina moves up Juliana’s body, and pulls her into a deep kiss, as her fingers circle her clit. They rest their foreheads together, as Valentina slowly pushes into her with two fingers.

She watches Juliana throw her head back and release a low whine. Valentina continues to pump into her, trying to not get distracted by the wet heat clenching around her fingers, and instead focuses on the blissed out reactions coming from Juliana. The women have done a lot in bed together, but it’s just now become apparent to Valentina that neither of them have come undone with the other so close in proximity. Usually, they have a certain amount of space between them during their trysts, and now that Valentina is aware of that, there’s nothing she wants more than to see Juliana lose herself to pleasure up close and personal. 

She trails her lips along her strong jawline as she picks up her pace. Juliana lets out a guttural moan at the change, and meets each thrust with her hips. Valentina wants nothing more than to have Juliana’s eyes on her. To see how she responds to every push and pull of her fingers.

“Juls, look at me.” Valentina breathes out as she rests her forehead against her temple. When Juliana doesn’t comply, she tries again. “Juls, baby. Look at me, please?”

Juliana whimpers and tilts her head to meet her gaze. Valentina’s breath hitches when she sees pure, unadulterated lust swimming in her nearly pitch black eyes. They smile at each other and Valentina gives her a quick peck on the lips, before she doubles down on her efforts. It only takes a few more strokes, and Juliana’s entire body quivers as she lets out a deep, airy moan. 

Valentina doesn’t stop until Juliana’s body goes limp beneath her. She pulls out of her slowly, and can’t help as a pleased smile makes its way on to her face. Juliana is completely spent, and Valentina’s fingers are thoroughly soaked. She presses her kisses along Juliana’s hairline as she waits for her to come down from her high. When the dark haired woman finally catches her breath and turns to look at her, Valentina pulls her into a kiss.

“You’re really good at that.” Juliana praises her after their kiss.

She hums as she traces her fingers along Juliana’s ribs. Valentina props herself onto her elbow and looks down at her, trying very hard not to appear smug, but she knows it’s no use.

“So, do you forgive me now?” Valentina asks, arching her eyebrow expectantly.

Juliana winces as she sucks in a breath. “You know, I just don’t think I’m there yet. But ask me again in a few hours.”

Valentina’s smug smile drops and is replaced with a baffled look. Juliana smirks as she gives her a peck on the lips and rolls off the bed. She quickly throws on a shirt and some shorts, and sends the brunette a wink before making a swift exit from her room. Valentina is left sitting alone on the bed wondering what the hell just happened, as a fading impish laugh can be heard from afar.

She gapes at the door and lets out a disbelieving scoff. The nerve of that woman, the audacity she has leaving Valentina high and dry like that. She bites her lip as a smile threatens to break across her face. Her fingers come to rest on her brow and she bursts out laughing. She shakes her head and stands from the bed, collecting her clothes from the night before, and redresses.

Before Valentina walks out of the room, something catches her eyes. She stops in front of Juliana’s dresser and smiles. Resting on the edges of a photo frame is the painting Juliana picked out at the beach. She bites her lip, trying to suppress a smile as she looks down shyly. She thinks about the canvas in her van again, but quickly shakes it from her thoughts and exits the room.

As Valentina passes the bathroom, she hears the faucet running and water splashing. She sticks her tongue out at the door even though she knows Juliana can’t see her, and makes her way out to her van. She takes her time getting ready for the day, and does her best to ignore the throbbing between her legs.

She exits her van sometime later and heads back into the casa. Her blue eyes narrow when she sees Juliana standing in front of the stove with a spatula in hand. She spins around when she hears Valentina enter, and immediately begins cackling when she sees the indignant expression she’s wearing.

“Really?” Valentina asks, as she closes the distance between them. “You’re laughing?”

“Mhm.” Juliana nod, with a huge grin, as she lowers the flame to the stove.

Valentina’s own smile widens. “I can’t believe you.”

“Believe it, babe.” Juliana’s tone is smug. “Did you really think you were going to get off that easily?”

“Well, after getting you off so easily…” Valentina tips her head back and forth. “Yeah, I kinda did.”

Her smile turns exasperated, and Valentina smirks back at her. Juliana opens her mouth to give a retort, but Kenzie walks into the kitchen before she can.

“Morning!” She greets, then stops short as her eyes glance between them. “Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

“No, you’re just in time. Val is about to catch these hands.” Juliana says pointedly, without breaking eye contact with her.

Valentina scrunches her nose, and both girls burst into giggles. She shakes her head at Juliana, before stepping back.

“Good morning, Kenzie.” Valentina turns to greet the blonde.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s a very good morning for you two.” She says slyly, as she walks over to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

Juliana shrugs with a small smirk playing at the edge of her lips. “It's had its moments.”

Valentina places her hands on her hips and huffs out in amusement, while sending Juliana a mock glare. She winks, and turns back to the stove to resume cooking.

“Interesting.” Kenzie takes a seat at the table and rests her chin in her hand.

Juliana glances over her shoulder at Kenzie. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Like literally anywhere else?”

“Not for a couple of hours.” The blonde says after taking a sip of her coffee. “Besides, I really want to see how this plays out.”

Valentina snorts and shares a smile with Kenzie. Juliana rolls her eyes and grumbles under her breath.

“Sorry, what was that?” Kenzie asks, sarcastically putting her hand behind her ear, as if to hear better.

“Something about throwing down with everyone in this house.” Valentina responds, having heard part of what Juliana said.

The dark haired woman looks at her in disbelief for selling her out, as Kenzie throws her back laughing. Valentina gives Juliana an apologetic look while chuckling. She doesn’t know why either of them feel the need to push each other’s buttons this morning, but she’s definitely enjoying the banter.

“I love that you think you can take any of us. It’s cute.” Kenzie says seriously.

“Fuck you.” Juliana says, finally giving in and laughing. “I hate that you two are ganging up on me.”

“You fucking love it.” Kenzie retorts.

“Yes, this is so much fun for me.” Juliana replies sarcastically.

Valentina crosses her arms and shrugs. “I don’t want to be that person, but you did start it, Juls.”

“I started it?” Juliana looks at her with an incredulous smile. “ _I_ started it? You sure about that?”

She laughs and holds her hands up while backing away towards the living room. “I could be misremembering, now that I think about it. And I’d love to talk about this more, but I’m just gonna…”

Valentina spins on her heels and quickly makes her way out of the kitchen. She knows she’s playing with fire. Especially after the little stunt Juliana pulled this morning, but she can’t help herself. A huge part of her is excited for the next time the two women are alone together, knowing Juliana will be a force to be reckoned with.

After taking her time going through her morning routine and basking in the comforts of a private bathroom, Valentina heads back to the kitchen. She smiles when she sees Juliana and Kenzie working together to set the table and plate the food. When they notice her lingering in the doorway, they usher her to a seat, waving off any of her offers to help with anything. Once the table is set, the food is served, and the coffee is poured, the women dig in.

Thirty minutes later and a stomach full of some of the best huevos rancheros Valentina has ever had, the friends are sitting around the table chatting. Kenzie and Valentina eased up on the teasing, especially after Juliana pointed out the blood, sweat, and tears she poured into making them breakfast. After one last jab aimed at her dramatics, they thanked her for the delicious food.

“Ooh, babe we need to get ready.” Kenzie says when she notices the time.

Juliana looks up at the clock and groans. “How is it already time?”

Kenzie gives her an innocent shrug, as she starts clearing out the table. “I don’t know, did something happen to make your morning pass by quickly?”

She receives and withering glare from the dark haired woman, while Valentina does her best to hide her smirk into her mug. She makes sure the smirk is gone when Juliana turns to look at her.

“Kenz and I have a shift soon. Are you going to hang around, or will you be out exploring?”

“I can clear out while you guys are gone, that isn’t a problem.” Valentina is quick to offer to leave. It’s nothing she’s offended by considering she’s virtually a stranger.

“No, you don’t have to clear out.” Juliana shakes her head. “I’m only asking so we can plan this out. Because Kenzie and I won’t be home until later tonight, and Nick won’t be home until six. I just don’t want you to be cooped up, or get locked out.”

Valentina tilts her head affectionately at the woman in front of her. “I can do whatever is easiest for you guys. I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”

“Well good news for you, you’re not imposing at all.” Kenzie replies without missing a beat, as she picks up Valentina’s dish to put in the sink.

She sends the blonde her an endeared smile, and receives a wink in return. Juliana looks between them, wearing a smile Valentina can’t quite discern. She doesn’t have time to dwell on it before the tanned woman is bounding out of her seat.

“I’m going to jump in the shower! Let me know what you decide.” Juliana calls out over her shoulder as she half jogs out of the kitchen.

Valentina snorts and shakes her head, as she looks after her. She turns to see Kenzie leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, sporting a self-righteous smile.

“What?” Valentina asks, half fearful of the answer.

“Nothing.” She shrugs.

“Mhm.” Valentina replies with playfully narrowed eyes.

Kenzie chuckles and pushes off the counter. “I’m going to go get ready for work. Don’t be afraid to turn on the tv or hop on the computer. Nuestra casa es tu casa.”

Valentina chuckles at the saying and holds up her mug in cheers, as Kenzie makes her way out of the kitchen. She polishes off her coffee and stands to put the empty cup in the sink. She stops short when she sees the mass of dishes piled up from this morning. Valentina pursues her lips, and decides to figuratively roll up her sleeves and do her part to help out. She may have had things handed to her for a majority of her life, but her time on the road has made her more independent. Even though washing dishes isn’t one of the many things she’s picked up, she doesn’t think she’d be too terrible at it.

* * *

Valentina has a newfound respect for doing the dishes. She was right, she isn’t terrible at it, but she’s also never been one for coordination. The steady stream of cool water paired with the slipperiness of the soap caused quite a few close calls. Thankfully, she finished her task with no tableware casualties, although she’s certain that she took longer than would be deemed normal.

She takes a step back an admires her work, feeling a silly sense of pride. Valentina is sure she shouldn’t feel this good about her self-appointed task, but she can’t help it. For as long as she’s known them, not that it’s been long, the friends have been generous in the way they’ve regarded her. She just wants to show them a token of her appreciation, even if it’s in a small way.

“You did the dishes?” A voice behind her speaks up.

Valentina yelps and quickly whips her head towards the source of the voice. Kenzie is peering over her shoulder, seemingly unaffected by her surprise as she assess the dishes drying on the rack.

Valentina takes a moment so heart rate to returns to normal, before she answers. “Yeah, is that okay?”

She’s suddenly feeling self-conscious by Kenzie’s arrival. Her own blue eyes look back at her handiwork, worried she’s missed something, or overall, didn’t do a good job. A smile suddenly blossoms on Kenzie’s face. Her caramel eyes slide over to Valentina, and they’re filled with an exasperated fondness. Valentina gives her a quizzical look, but before she can voice her inquiry, Juliana walks in.

“What’s going on?” She asks as she comes to a stop next to Kenzie.

The blonde looks at her, still wearing that smile, and places a hand over her heart. “Valentina did the dishes.”

Juliana looks mildly taken aback, and glances between them, before refocusing on Kenzie. “She did the dishes, as in she washed the dishes?”

Kenzie nods silently, her hand still placed over her heart. Juliana looks over at her with the most endeared smile as she tries to stifle a laugh.

“Okay, what?” Valentina finally asks, feeling like she’s missing something.

“Valentina, babe…” Kenzie trails off, still looking at her affectionately.

“Val, we have a dishwasher.” Juliana finishes for her, as a giggle tumbles out of her mouth.

She follows Juliana’s line of sight as chocolate brown eyes slide over to the appliance resting directly opposite of the sink on the curved counter. A pink hue dusts her cheeks when she spots it.

“You know what? There’s nothing better than determination and a little bit of elbow grease to get the job done better than a machine.” Kenzie says, trying to ease Valentina’s mild embarrassment.

“Yeah!” Juliana quickly agrees. “We should think about doing them by hand more often.”

Valentina’s blush subsides, and she shoots the friends an embarrassed smile. “Basta. You guys don’t have to try and make me feel better.”

Juliana’s smile turns rueful. “I’m sorry, Val. I promise we aren’t making fun of you.”

Valentina’s expression becomes skeptical, but she can’t be upset, it’s pretty funny. She lets out a giggle of her own, and soon enough, the three of them are laughing. When their laughter dies down, Kenzie places a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you for doing the dishes. That was really nice of you.” She says earnestly.

Valentina beams at her and places her hand over Kenzie’s, giving it a squeeze before letting go. She looks over at Juliana to see her fiddling with her keychain. After some tweaking, she produces two keys, holding them out in the palm of her hand for Valentina to take, but she hesitates, wondering what they’re for.

“They’re the keys to the house and gate.” Juliana explains, pushing her hand closer to Valentina. “Whatever you decide you want to do today, we want to make sure you aren’t locked out.”

Valentina’s heart constricts at the words, feeling an adoration for the woman in front of her. And, of course, for her lovable friends as well. They have all opened their home and hearts to her, and it means a lot to Valentina.

“Juls, thank you! Are you sure you won’t need them though?” She asks worriedly, before she takes the them. She wants to make sure Juliana had access to her own house before she takes her set of keys.

“No, I’ll be fine. Kenzie has her keys, and Nick will be home before us anyway.” Juliana shrugs, and holds her hand out again. “Here.”

Valentina places her hand over Juliana’s, and clasps it in a soft grip. She pulls her close and places a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away, taking the set of keys with her.

“Thank you.” She repeats, earnestly.

They’re silent for a few moments, both of them smiling at each other in a way that feels so familiar and real. Kenzie, who’s been animatedly glancing between them, borderline giddy, breaks the silence.

“Juli, we gotta go.” She says apologetically, as if it pains her to interrupt them.

Juliana takes a step back and nods in affirmation. Valentina walks them back to the door and wishes them a great day at work. She watches as they hop into Juliana’s car and take off in the direction of the bar.

Valentina closes the door and leans against it while taking in the empty house. She huffs, not really sure what to do. A really big part of her wants to go back to her van and hole up in there until Nick returns from work, but she’d feel terrible doing that now, considering Juliana’s sacrifice of loaning Valentina her keys.

She scans the room again, decides to make the most out of the house. She heads back to her van to retrieve her sketchpad, and returns to the living room to plop down on the couch. Valentina does something she hasn’t done in ages, she grabs the remote and turns the tv on, flipping it to channel four as she settles into the couch and begin sketching the sceneries of progreso that she remembers.

After a couple of hours of her attention switching between her sketches and whatever is playing on the tv, Valentina finally can’t take it anymore and turns it off. She stands, simultaneously stretching from her hours of sitting and glaring at the flatscreen. One thing she knows for certain, Juliana wasn’t kidding about the internet provider commercial that seems to play on an endless loop.

Deciding to get out of the house for a couple of hours, Valentina hops in the shower to wash off, and gets ready to go out exploring. With all of her essentials, she makes sure everything is turned off and locked up, and heads out. She’s thankful the house resides close to the main hub of Mérida. She’s able to access all of the hotspots via public transport and by trekking throughout the city. She’s pleasantly surprised by everything she encounters, from the local markets, to the architecture, to the culture that surrounds her.

Valentina is conflicted in her emotions. A real big part of her is so happy she’s here, basking in everything, and another part of her wants to kick herself for nearly missing out on this amazing city. One thing she’s certain of, Kenzie was right about this city feeling like one big welcoming community.

She takes snapshots of everything that catches her eye. From the locals, to the architecture, to the historical landmarks. She ends up in various places, such as Plaza Grande, Parque de Santa Ana, and the Lucas de Galvez Market. She has a wonderful time checking out all of the street vendors. She buys a few handcrafted items, and a lot of food. She experiences so much in a single afternoon, and it’s barely her first day out exploring.

When she finally decides to head back to the house, it’s a little after six in the afternoon. She uses the keys Juliana gave her to unlock the front door and step inside. She hears music playing, and distant pattering in the kitchen and immediately makes her way to the room, knowing from the car parked in the drive way that it’s Nick.

“Hey.” She greets as she enters the kitchen.

Nick glances over his shoulder from where he’s peering into the fridge. “Oh, hey Valentina! Where have you been?”

“Out and about.” Valentina answers as she sets her camera down on the table. “There’s so much to see here.”

Nick grins. “What did I tell you? Whatever you’ve seen barely skims the surface. We’ll plan a day to give you a proper tour and show you a few hidden gems. ”

Valentina beams. “That sounds like a lot of fun, I can’t wait.”

He nods and returns his attention to the fridge and begins pulling out ingredients. Valentina takes this time to look him over, appraising him in his work clothes. He’s wearing a white button up, navy slacks, and brown leather chukkas. His typically wavy hair is styled so that his curls are more tame and pomaded back. She crosses her arms as she nods to herself, appreciating his duality.

“See something you like?” He jokes with her as he wiggles his backside.

Valentina huffs out in amusement as she uncrosses her arms. “Meh. It’s not terrible, but I’ve seen better.”

Nick barks out a laugh as he closes the fridge and pull out a cutting board and knife. “Juli’s definitely got me beat there.”

“There’s no comparison.” Is her immediate reply, and she flushes.

“No there isn’t. Her ass just doesn’t quit.” He chuckles.

Valentina bursts out laughing at that, shaking her head at the absurdity of their conversation. She can’t believe their talking about Juliana’s butt. She feels slightly guilty about that, but Nick’s words are true, it really doesn’t quit. When their laughter dies down, Valentina steps up to the sink to wash her hands, and turns to Nick.

“What can I do?” Valentina asks as she looks over the ingredients. It comes out like more of a statement than a question, so that he doesn’t wave her off.

Nick looks over all of the ingredients and directs her to start dicing up the vegetables while he slices pieces of Oaxaca cheese. They work together to prepare dinner, chatting about Valentina’s time out in Mérida, and what street venders she hit up for lunch. They compare notes on the ones Nick recognizes, and some similar foods Valentina has had in different states.

In no time, they’re sitting at the table with plates full of quesadillas and guacamole. They thank each other as Nick sets a beer in front of her, and she passes him a napkin and fork. Their eyes rake over the food, and they share an excited smile before digging in.

Nick groans after taking his first bite. “This is amazing.”

“Teamwork.” Valentina holds her beer up, and they cheers. “So, what do you do that has you dressing up all fancy?”

He finishes his bite of food and washes it down with a swig of beer before answering. “I told you my uncle offered me a job right? He owns a construction company here in the city. He built it from the ground up about ten years ago.”

“Good for him! Building from the ground up is tough.” Valentina nods. “Do you work in the offices?”

“Sort of.” Nick tilts his head back and forth. “I go between the offices and the sites. When I first started, I was doing construction, and saving up money to attend university. When I finally saved enough and got accepted, I went to my uncle with the idea to expand the business to include interior design. He went for it, so that’s what I do now.”

“Holy shit, Nick. That’s awesome!” Valentina praises him. “So, you go in and decorate the places after construction?”

“No, that’s interior decorating. I basically do the floor plans and the interior layout of the buildings. I see how it can be most utilized in the safest way possible, and go from there. It’s pretty cool.” He nods, then smirks. “It’s also why this house is so pretty.”

Valentina laughs at that. “Oh, so this was all you?”

He nods. “Kenz and Juli will never admit it, but I was a huge influence in the layout and planning. And unlike them, I have impeccable taste.”

She chuckles again, knowing Kenzie and Juliana argue with his statement. They continue eating, while Valentina asks him more about his job, and he tells her all about it, what he loves, what frustrates him, how he wants to expand his uncle’s business further. Once they finish their dinner, he shows her how to use the dishwasher, and laughs when she tells him about her faux pas in the morning.

After the food is wrapped up, the table and counters are wiped clean, and the dishwasher is loaded, Valentina and Nick are hanging out in the living room nursing their second beer. The front door opens, and Juliana walks in. She greets them with a smile, and comes to stand behind couch.

“Hi.” Valentina grins up at her.

“Hey, Juli!” Nick throws up a hand to wave at her, then points towards the kitchen. “Valentina and I made dinner. It’s in the oven.”

“Oh, yeah?” Juliana quirks an eyebrow at her, and she shyly shrugs back in return. “Well, thanks guys.”

She leans over the couch to kiss the top of Valentina’s head, then moves to Nick to give him one as well. She ruffles his hair for good measure, before retreating to the kitchen. Valentina lets out a quiet laugh as Nick brushes his hair back, grumbling about how long it took him to do it this morning.

Juliana returns to living room with a plate of food, and settles in the space between them. She leans closer to Valentina, and the brunette takes advantage of the proximity to throw her arm over the back of the couch behind Juliana’s head. As Juliana eats, they ask about her day and fill her in on theirs. Valentina asks about Kenzie, and learns the blonde is closing up the bar tonight, and will be home later.

“Alright, I’m going to go get ready.” Nick says as he stands from the couch. He grabs the empty beer bottles, and Juliana’s plate from the coffee table.

“Where are you off to?” Valentina asks.

“I’m going to get drinks with a few friends from university. Do you guys wanna come?”

Valentina and Juliana both look at each other with raised eyebrows. Juliana shrugs at her, letting her know it’s her decision.

She looks back up at Nick with an apologetic smile. “I’m pretty exhausted from my day, so I think I’ll sit this one out.”

Nick nods in understanding, and turns to look at Juliana. “Juli?” 

“I think I’ll sit this one out, too.”

He nods understandingly, and goes to deposit the empty beer bottles and plate in the kitchen before disappearing to his room. It leaves the two women sitting alone on the couch. Valentina feels herself starting to get a little nervous, but it’s immediately quelled when Juliana turns to face her and interlaces their fingers together.

“So, you helped with dinner?” She asks.

“I did.” Valentina nods proudly. “The guac was all me.”

Juliana throws her head back and laughs, and Valentina’s eyes shine. It’s such a melodious sound, and it thrills her that she’s the one to cause it.

“And not to brag, but I also learned how to use the dishwasher.”

“Oh, did you?” Juliana asks between her chuckles, and Valentina nods self-assuredly. “Wow, you really had an eventful day today.”

Valentina holds her arms out. “I guess you can say it comes with the lifestyle.”

Juliana laughs again and nudges Valentina’s knee. “And how was your evening with Nick? Did he behave?”

It’s Valentina’s turn to chuckle. “Yes, it was great. We were chatting and cooking. It was really nice.”

And it was. Valentina isn’t used to the company. She can’t remember the last time she’s spent this amount of quality time with anyone. It was really domestic, and for whatever reason, it doesn’t make Valentina want to run for the hills.

“Aw,” Juliana coos, and squeezes her hand. “What did you guys talk about?”

Valentina opens her mouth to answer, then pauses and tilts her head to the side. “Your butt.” She answers honestly.

A laugh bubbles from Juliana. “My what?”

“Your butt.” She repeats. “We talked about your butt.”

Juliana tips her head side to side. “I can’t say what I blame you. It’s a really nice butt.”

“Oh, it doesn’t quit.” Nick suddenly pipes up as he reenters the living room, dressed in a more casual outfit with his phone in hand. “Valentina knows what’s up.”

The women laugh his words, and Valentina has to look down to hide her blush. Nick looks up from his phone to send Juliana a wink, before heading into the kitchen. They hear some rummaging in the cabinets before he’s back in the living room, bottle of tequila and three shot glasses in hand.

“Nope!” Juliana shakes her head emphatically. “This is not happening.”

“Yes the fuck it is.” Nick says, as he opens the bottle and pours the liquid into the glasses. “Valentina, you’re down right?”

Valentina turns her nose up when the smell hits her nostrils. “Do I have a choice?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Juliana and Nick say in unison. She chuckles and takes the offered shot from Nick. He goes to hand Juliana hers, and it she takes it reluctantly.

“You guys aren’t coming out tonight, so I at least want to have my first drink with you.” He says as he picks up his own shot. “Now come on, on the count of three.”

They hold their shot glasses out and he counts down from three. They cheers and down the shot quickly. Valentina’s face scrunches in disgust. This is exactly why she prefers mezcal, it tastes so much better than tequila.

“Alright, I’m out.” Nick says as he looks at his phone again. “I’ll see you guys later!”

And just like that, he’s out the door. Juliana shakes her head as she collects the shot glasses and tequila, and heads into the kitchen. Valentina follows her in and leans on the counter as she watches Juliana set the glasses in the sink. She turns to look at Valentina and holds up the bottle in her hand.

“Want a drink?”

Valentina scrunches her nose. “Do you have anything else besides tequila?”

Juliana chuckles and nods. She walks over to a cupboard and opens it to reveal a wide variety of liquor. She plucks out a bourbon and holds it up for Valentina.

“How do you feel about an old fashioned?”

She smiles, and answers, “Receptive.”

She watches with rapt attention as Juliana makes their drinks. It doesn’t take her long until she’s handing Valentina her glass. They cheers, and she takes a sip of her drink. Her eyebrows shoot up as she tastes it. It’s sweet, yet strong, smooth, but with a bite. It’s good, Valentina decides.

“You seem surprised.” Juliana comments with an amused tone. “Have you had one of these before?”

She shakes her head. “No, I haven’t. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I like it.”

Juliana smiles at her. “I thought you might. People like to compare mezcal and tequila, but they really aren’t too similar. I think mezcal is more like scotch. They both have that smoky bite to them. Although an old fashioned is made with bourbon, I thought you might appreciate the likeness.”

“I do.” She nods. “Thank you. You put a lot of thought behind pouring this drink.”

“It’s what I do.” Juliana shrugs, and tilts her head for Valentina to follow her.

Juliana turns on the lights as they enter the backyard. They sit in the wicker couch again, sipping on their drinks and talking about whatever comes to mind. It’s nice, they way they talk and tease each other. How they allow themselves to just be in each other’s presence. While they didn’t have much alone time in Sisal, Valentina always appreciated this level of ease that surrounded them when it’s just them.

They’re on their third drink when the topic of the garden comes up. Juliana’s face lights up and she basically drags Valentina over to it. Juliana turns on the lights and opens the critter fence, letting Valentina walk through before her. The garden is by no means big, but its definitely in abundance. There’s a mixture of fruit, vegetables, and flowers growing. They’re organized in subsections, ranging from strawberries and blueberries, to zucchinis and bell peppers, to chrysanthemums and geraniums.

Valentina’s jaw drops as she looks around the garden. It’s impressive to say in the least.

“What do you think?” Juliana asks. Her dark brown eyes haven’t left Valentina’s face.

“This is amazing, Juls! You did all of this?”

“Nick helped me build the wooden planters, and Kenzie helped set up the fence and put up the lights, but yeah. Everything else is all me.” Juliana answers as she looks around the garden.

Valentina smiles at her and moves over to the flowers, taking her time to study them and inhale their scent. A rush of nostalgia suddenly hits her, causing tears to well from her eyes. Feeling overwhelmed, she takes a step back and lets out a shaky breath. A hand comes to rest on her lower back, and she turns to see Juliana look at her with concern.

“Sorry,” She apologizes, and wipes her eyes. “Just got caught up there for a second.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Are you okay, though?” She asks, stepping closer.

Valentina’s body instinctually leans into her for comfort. “Yeah, it’s just been a while since I’ve been in a garden.” Juliana is silent, giving her the space and time to continue. “It uh… it reminds me of my mom. I miss her.”

Juliana rubs her hand along Valentina’s spine. “That’s understandable, you’ve been away from home for a long time. When did you last see her?”

She lets out a water chuckle, and furrows her eyebrows as she shakes her head.

“Oh.” Juliana’s breathes out in realization.

Suddenly, Valentina is pulled into her arms. She buries her face into Juliana’s neck and wills herself to hold in the fresh set of tears that want to escape. She takes a few more deep breaths, reveling in the comfort of the other woman. And it really does help having Juliana close.

She pulls back once she feels herself calm down. Juliana cups her cheeks and wipes away the tears that escaped.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers softly in the space between them.

Valentina holds onto her wrists and closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them to see brown eyes softly gazing at her, she feels infinitely better.

“It’s okay, it happened a long time ago.” Valentina says quietly. “I’m usually fine when I think or talk about her. I didn’t expect your garden to be so reminiscent of her.”

“Did she garden often?” Juliana softly asks.

She nods as she looks around the garden. “Yeah, flowers. Our backyard had a huge flower garden she took care of all on her own. When she died, no one else wanted to touch it. We didn’t even want to be near it. My dad had our gardener to tend to it, but it was a lot. It was gradual, how it started getting smaller and smaller. I don’t even know if it’s there anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Val.” Juliana apologizes again, with her own unshed tears threatening to spill.

“Don’t be.” She says, and brings their foreheads together. “I’m glad I got to experience this. I haven’t thought about that garden in a really long time, and it was a big part of my mom. I may have gotten really sad, but I’m happy to be reminded.”

Juliana smiles at her encouragingly. She pulls her head back, but intertwines their hands ensuring she and Valentina stay connected to each other. They’re quiet for a few moments as Juliana bites her lip contemplatively. Valentina wants to ask what’s on her mind, but she refrains, deciding to be patient and not push.

“My dad died when I was sixteen.” Juliana finally says.

She finally meets Valentina’s gaze, and her eyes are full of apprehension. She looks torn about sharing this information with her, and Valentina squeezes her hands affectionately, to comfort and reassure her.

“I’m so sorry, Juls.”

Juliana shakes her head slowly, and her eyes tighten ever so slightly. “I didn’t really know him that well. He wasn’t around much when I was growing up, and when he was around, he was usually getting drunk on the sofa, or passed out on the bed. By the time I was in my teens, he was only coming around maybe a few months out of the year.

“We were never close, but it wasn’t like there was any animosity between us. I did wish he was more present in my life, but he was who he was. It’s just weird,” She pauses, and furrows her eyebrows. “Because I don’t mourn him, but I am grateful for him. If it hadn’t been for his death my mom wouldn’t have wanted to move to México to be close to family.”

Valentina lets the words sink in. She understands now, Juliana’s apprehension. It must be difficult to not be upset at the passing of a parent, but instead be thankful for what it helped build.

“I don’t think it’s weird. You may not mourn him, but you do honor his memory by being grateful for what his death has given you.” Valentina says softly as she brushes her fingers over Juliana’s knuckles.

“You don’t think it’s cold?” She asks in a worried voice.

Valentina shakes her head. “Not at all. When it comes to losing someone, how a person handles or views it is subjective. There’s no right or wrong way to process and move forward from a loss, because it affects everyone differently. It’s not like you’re happy he’s dead. You just appreciate that a bad circumstance gave you a life you cherish.”

“Huh.” Juliana utters as she mulls over Valentina’s words. “I never thought of it like that. I always focused in on the negative aspect of it all.”

“It’s hard to see things outside of the biased lens we view ourselves in. Unfortunately the biased lens tends to be a critical bitch.”

Juliana snorts out a laugh through her nose, and her eyes lose their hardened edge. She gives Valentina a full smile, and the brunette returns it easily, pulling her in for a hug. She isn’t sure how much her words helped, but when they let go of each other, Juliana looks a lot lighter, like a weight’s been lifted from her shoulders.

Valentina’s chest flutters as she notices the change in Juliana’s demeanor. She distracts herself from the feeling by encouraging Juliana to tell her all about the garden. Her brown eyes light up even more as she jumps into the backstory of how the garden came to be, and why she grows what she grows. It’s easy, getting caught up in Juliana’s enthusiasm, and Valentina finds herself asking a lot of questions and learning so much. She hadn’t ever considered the time and care that goes into building and maintaining a garden.

As Juliana continues to talk animatedly, Valentina takes the time to admire her. The more she learns about the dark haired woman, the more she’s captivated by her. Her blue eyes roam over Juliana’s profile, drinking her in. Valentina knows she must wearing the dopiest expression on her face, because she stops talking to give her an exasperated smile.

“Val, are you even listening?”

“To every single word.” She promises.

* * *

Valentina finishes packing her cooler and shuts the lid. She looks around her van doing a mental check to make sure everything’s in place. Nodding to herself, she steps out at the same time Nick exits the house.

“Everything set?” He asks, peering over her shoulder to look at the van.

“Yeah, she’s ready to go.” Valentina affirms.

Nick slings his arm over her shoulder and gives her a noogie. “How about you? You ready for this?”

She laughs as she gets out of his hold, and fixes her hair. “I’m always ready to hit the road.”

He raises his eyebrows at her with a wide grin. “Good, that’s what I like to hear! Too bad some people don’t share your sentiment.”

“Por dios!” Kenzie exclaims as she enters the backyard. “We’re ready! Stop being such a drama queen.”

“ _Nunca_.” Nick retorts as he makes a face at her.

She sticks her tongue out at him, and they begin bickering as they enter her van. Valentina shakes her head at them and turns to see Juliana coming out of the casa, and closing the door behind her. She bites her lip, taking in Juliana’s outfit, consisting of a white halter top and long floral sarong. When they lock eyes, a deep blush forms on Valentina’s cheeks at being caught. There’s a smirk on Juliana’s face, and it looks like she’s about to tease her when the loud blaring of the horn interrupts them.

“Keep it in your pants ladies, we got places to be!” Nick calls out, half hanging out of the passenger window. “By the way, Juli, I got shotgun.”

Juliana quirks her eyebrow at him. “You sure about that, buddy?”

She bounds into the van and there’s a bit of a commotion, before Nick lets out a loud squeal. Valentina can’t quite make out what’s happening, but if Kenzie’s cackle is anything to go by, she knows Nick’s having rough go of it. She shakes her head again, and enters the van to see him sitting at the table with a pout on is face. Valentina looks over at the passenger seat to see Juliana and Kenzie squeezed onto it with the seatbelt buckled in. She chuckles and ruffles Nick’s hair as she takes her place on the driver’s seat and turns the car on. 

“Are you guys ready?” She asks, enthusiastically.

Valentina waits for the chorus of cheers, before guiding her van down the driveway. She waits for Nick to close the gate and hop back in, and just like that, they’re off. The familiar excitement flutters in her stomach at the thought of being back on the road, even if it’s for a small day trip to the friends’ favorite cenote.

The car ride is filled with a lot of overlapping conversations and a lot of laughter. It’s another thing Valentina can add to her growing lists of ‘firsts’ she’s been experiencing since meeting these beautiful people. While Nick and Kenzie are having a spirited conversation about fútbol, Valentina glances over at Juliana to see her eyes already locked on her. They share a small smile before she has to look back at the road. With the van cruising at a constant speed, she takes her hand off the gearstick and places it on Juliana’s thigh, smiling wider when their fingers lace together.

After their time in the garden on Friday night, the women retired to Valentina’s van with their drinks. They spent the remainder of their night talking and laughing on the bed. At some point when the conversation died down, their desires surfaced, and much to Valentina’s delight, Juliana more than made up for her mischievous behavior earlier that morning.

Despite not getting much sleep, when she woke up early Saturday morning, she felt restful and sated. Juliana woke not long after her, and they made their way into the kitchen to see Kenzie cooking breakfast for everyone. Thanking her for her troubles, the ladies helped set the table and brew the coffee. It wasn’t long before breakfast was served and everyone was sitting at the table digging into the food, and deciding on plans for the following day when no one had to work.

And that’s how Valentina finds herself staring down at a gigantic hole in the ground with the bluest water she’s ever seen. She’s reluctant to walk down the old, tattered steps, but Juliana and Kenzie hold each of her hands, as Nick leads them down to the water below. Once they’re clear of the steps, and swimming in the pit, does Valentina finally take a moment to stop and look around. It’s amazing really, what the earth does naturally without the help of mankind. Valentina thinks she’ll always hold a deeper affection for nature’s beauty over anything manmade. There’s no contest in her eyes.

The water ripples a little more forcefully around her, and she looks up to see Juliana wading towards her. She swallows harshly as the woman draws nearer. She looks divine with her wet hair pushed back out of her face. Her long eyelashes and firm cheekbones accentuate her features. There’s a playfulness in her chocolate eyes as she comes to a stop in front of Valentina, and her chest constricts at the sight. Maybe there is one thing that can give nature’s beauty a run for her money.

Juliana inches closer to her, and brings their bodies together. She encircles Valentina’s neck with her arms, and wraps her legs around waist.

“Ah, that’s so much better. I was getting tired.” She jokes as she bumps their noses together.

Valentina arches her eyebrow. “Oh, so that’s why you came over here?”

“Mhm.” Juliana nods. “Why else would I bother?”

She tilts her head back and laughs. When they lock eyes again, she leans in and brings their lips together in a deep kiss.

“Oh, that’s why.” Juliana mumbles against her.

Another laughs rumbles through her chest. “It’s a good reason, isn’t it?”

“Very good.”

They kiss again, but don’t let it escalate, considering their location. While this cenote is one of the more secluded ones compared to the others throughout the Yucatán Peninsula, it isn’t completely unknown. There are a few groups of friends and a family here as well. And while it’s not at all overcrowded, the women still don’t want to put on a show.

Valentina leans back, letting the weight of Juliana rest on her a little better and holds her waist with one arm while using the other to swim them to where Nick and Kenzie are swimming. They spend the rest of their late morning and early afternoon splashing around in the cool water. At one point, Juliana and Nick climb safe distance up the stairs to jump down into the water. They try to convince Kenzie and Valentina to join them, but the women refuse, stating they don’t have a death wish. They do, however, cheer on the two friends as they repeatedly jump into the water.

It’s around mid afternoon when the friends finally exit the cenote, and head back up to the van to work on opening it up and bringing out the grill. Once their food is cooked, the beers are passed around, and the music is playing softly through the speaker, do they find themselves sitting on a large blanket under the shade of the canopy eating and talking.

They stay there for sometime after their food is gone, obviously to digest it for at least a good thirty minutes, when Nick brings out a bag of marshmallows. Kenzie and Valentina cheer, while Juliana groans, knowing how they can go overboard with the sweet treat. Not until the entire bag is nearly finished do they head back into the cenote for one last swim, before packing up and heading back to the house.

The ride back is a lot more quiet. Everyone is exhausted from their day out, so the conversations are less lively. The second Valentina parks her van in her spot at the back of the driveway, the friends don’t waste time hopping out and heading inside, eager to unwind. 

Valentina sighs contently, as Juliana runs her fingers through her light brown hair. She has her head resting on the tanned woman’s lap, and only half paying attention to whatever’s playing on the television. They’re sitting the couch patiently waiting for their turn at the shower when the doorbell rings, and Nick comes barreling into the living room from his room.

Juliana looks over to see what’s happening at the door, but Valentina stays put, not wanting to move from her comfortable spot. She hears Nick and someone else talking, and a few moments later the door closes, and he sets a pizza on the coffee table.

“Dinner’s here!” He says excitedly as he goes into the kitchen to grab some plates. 

“How does he have so much energy?” Valentina grumbles as she slowly rises from Juliana’s lap.

“He’s always like this when food’s involved.” She replies with a quirk of her lips. “And I’m sure the shower woke him up a little.”

Nick enters the living room and hands out the plates, setting one aside for Kenzie. The women thank him as they grab their slices. Valentina eats slowly, too tired to properly enjoy the meal, even though her rumbling stomach is very appreciative of it. It isn’t long before Kenzie joins them on the couch and plates her food, while announcing that the shower’s free.

“Do you want to go first?” Juliana asks her quietly.

Valentina sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. She’s feeling incredibly fatigued, and a shower is the last thing she wants right now. What she really wants is to curl up in bed and sleep for a really long time, but she knows she needs to wash up.

“Val?” Juliana gets her attention.

Valentina opens her eyes and nods, but stays sitting for some time. Juliana stands from her spot and takes their dishes into the kitchen and returns. She takes Valentina’s hand and leads them to the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. She turns on the shower, letting it warm up and stands in front of Valentina. Juliana places her hands on the button of Valentina’s shorts and raises her eyebrow, silently asking for permission. Valentina nods with a small, tired smile playing at her lips as Juliana works on undressing her, and then herself.

Once they’re bare, Juliana tugs on her hand, and leads them under the spray of the water. She reaches for the shampoo and squirts some on her hand and motions for Valentina to turn around. Surprised, the brunette complies, and nearly melts as Juliana’s hands massage into her scalp. It’s such an intimate act, and Valentina isn’t exactly sure what to make of it, but she can’t ignore the fluttering in her chest even if she wanted to. Not in her exhausted state, feeling so relaxed with Juliana shampooing her hair, and the steady stream of warm water sprinkling across her body.

They shower in silence, communicating with their bodies and soft smiles. When it’s time for them to get out, Valentina tries not to pout. Juliana hands her a towel and takes one for herself, wrapping it snugly around her body. They quickly brush their teeth, and head back into Juliana’s room. After drying themselves off, Juliana hangs up their towels, and rummages through her drawer for some pajamas.

Valentina watches her for a moment, a sleepy smile adorning her face at the lack of clothing, then pouts at the thought of having to put some on. Her eyes drift to the bed, and thinks it looks so inviting. Shrugging to herself, she clambers onto the bed and slides into the sheets, pulling them up to her shoulders. Valentina buries her head into the pillow, smelling Juliana’s scent, and sighs dreamily.

She hears a quiet chuckle from behind her, but doesn’t turn to look at Juliana, far too comfortable laying on her side that faces the wall. The drawer closes and she feels Juliana sliding into the spot behind her. She snuggles close to Valentina pulling her into her arms and presses a kiss to her shoulder, neck, and then the back of her head.

“You’re really sleepy tonight.” Juliana says quietly.

“I’m not sure why.” Valentina murmurs, then lifts the woman’s hand resting over her midsection to give it a kiss.

“You haven’t been getting much sleep these last few days.” Juliana reminds her.

She lets out a sleepy chuckle. That’s right, how did she forget? Aside from staying up late with Juliana, she also had a restless week leading up to their reunion. She’s extremely grateful for Juliana. Valentina doesn’t think she’d have made it through the shower without her.

“Thank you.” She’s able to mumble out as sincerely as she can through her drowsiness.

Juliana presses a kiss to the back of her head. “You’re welcome. Goodnight, Val.”

Valentina hums, and tries to nestle further into Juliana’s naked body. She reaches her hand back and taps it lightly on the dark haired woman’s thigh, and sighs happily when it rests snugly over her hip. Even though she knows it would’ve happened at some point while they’re sleeping, Valentina wants to feel completely enveloped by Juliana as she drifts off. With one last kiss to the hand she’s cradling to her chest, Valentina lets sleep overtake her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how long this took! Between the mild writer's block, my summer course, and my adhd, it's been hard to sit down and focus. Also, this story kinda got away from me in terms of length, so this is only the first half of Part II. I hope I delivered, and sorry if there are any mistakes!


	3. Part II - B

Days turn into weeks, and soon enough, Valentina has spent just under a month in Mérida. She barely notices as August bleeds into September, too consumed with the time she spends in Juliana’s orbit to pay it any mind. What Valentina does notice is how easily their lives become intertwined. It should worry her how natural it all feels, almost as if she’s accidentally stumbled into this vacant space she was always meant to occupy. It really _should_ worry her. And it would, if she ever let herself think about it long enough.

But Valentina doesn’t focus on any of that. Instead, she puts all of her energy into living in the moment, and delighting in the presence of Juliana and her wonderful friends. She gets swept up in becoming apart of their world, and introducing them to hers in the little ways she can. The push and pull dynamic they all create together is everything she never knew she wanted to be apart of, and it warms her heart how easily she’s welcomed into this family with open arms.

It’s refreshing, spending some of her evenings helping Nick make dinner. They switch between cooking inside and grilling outdoors depending on their mood and what ingredients are at their disposal. She shows him some of the tricks she picked up on the road, like how to make a pizza on a grill, which he finds to be the coolest thing ever. In return Nick shows her how to cook an authentic mayan dish on the grill, which blows Valentina’s mind. It’s a lengthy process, taking their entire Friday night to prepare, but they have a great time nonetheless. When Juliana and Kenzie finally arrive home after their late shift at the bar, they find Valentina and Nick sporting a good buzz and sitting around the bonfire still waiting for the food to cook. Valentina loves that night for so many reasons, but the what she loves the most is how it ends with her curling into Juliana’s side by the bonfire with a plate of amazing food and warm feeling in her chest.

It’s embracing, spending the early morning hours of her day painting with Kenzie in the backyard. What started out as a way for Valentina to make sure she doesn’t rouse Juliana any earlier than she needs to, turned into an incredible bonding time between her and Kenzie. The blonde is a natural early riser like Valentina. So that, paired with her natural curiosity and Valentina’s enthusiasm for sharing the things she loves, leads to impromptu painting lessons in the mornings just before the heat of the day settles in. During their one on one time, Valentina learns just how alike she and Kenzie are. They grew up in two completely different worlds, yet had the same burden of expectations put on them by their families to follow a path that wasn’t meant for them. The sense of camaraderie and understanding she shares with Kenzie is a type of connection never thought she’d find. And it’s funny how their two very different worlds somehow led them here. It led them to this backyard in Mérida where they spend their mornings painting, laughing, and talking like long lost sisters.

Valentina adores the time she spends with Nick and Kenzie; however, as amazing as it is, nothing compares to the time she spends with Juliana. They could be doing the most mundane, trivial thing, and Valentina would still enjoy every moment. Then again, she doesn’t think anything about their time together is mundane or trivial. Because everything they do together carries a certain weight that runs deeper than anything Valentina has ever experienced before. It’s so apparent in the way they regard each other, always so attentive and filled with a simmering intensity.

Juliana teaches her how to garden and compost. It’s something she loves most in the world, and she shares it with Valentina so enthusiastically. Valentina loses count of how many hours they spend tending to the plants and flowers. And it’s so rewarding, putting in so much effort and watching it pay off as the vegetation thrives under their care. It’s a different kind of pride she never expects to relish in, and what makes it so profound is how much closer Valentina feels to her mom every time she dons her gardening gloves and gets to work. It’s not a feeling she thought she’d experience after all this time, but sometimes she can’t help the happy tears that bubble over. When that happens, Valentina buries her face in Juliana’s shoulder and peppers light kisses along her neck as sweet nothings are whispered into her ear.

Valentina shares her art with Juliana. Not in the same way she shares it with Kenzie. Valentina learns early on that Juliana doesn’t have an artistic bone in her body. She still giggles when remembering the stick figures Juliana drew for her while they were hanging out in her van one lazy afternoon. Valentina has the drawing tucked safely in the back of her sketch book, though she’ll never tell Juliana. Especially since she promised Juliana she’d throw it out and never speak of it again in order to save her from the embarrassment.

No, Valentina shares her art with Juliana in a very different way. It’s in the late hours of the night, after they’re both sated and spent and Juliana is looking so heavenly underneath her, when Valentina asks to paint her. Juliana readily agrees to her request, and laughs loudly once she realizes just how literal Valentina meant her words. She straddles Juliana with her paint palette and brush in hand. She leans down carefully and places a delicate kiss on plump lips before pulling back and getting to work. Valentina smiles when Juliana’s muscles contract at the first stroke of her brush. As a silent apology of how much it’s going to tickle, she gives a kiss to the valley between Juliana’s breasts before continuing on. And that’s how they spend the next hour or so. Valentina painting Juliana’s torso and placing kisses on the small patches of skin that is paint free, while Juliana watches her with hooded eyes and a soft smile.

She paints the night sky on the delectable expanse of Juliana’s stomach. She uses dark hues of blended blue, black, and white as she recreates an image that will forever be ingrained into Valentina’s mind. It’s of their last night in Sisal when they were floating in the pool looking up at the infinite array of stars above them. That moment was so profound to Valentina for many reasons. She remembers looking up at the endless stars and feeling like she belonged to the universe, but when she looked over at Juliana, something shifted in her. When their eyes met, Valentina felt like the night sky was reflected in her dark orbs, and they sparkled far more brilliantly than anything Valentina has ever seen. Juliana had a confession on the tip of her tongue that was rudely interrupted and although it had remained unspoken in that moment, somehow Valentina felt like she always knew what Juliana was going to say. Like an electric current that ran between them, saying everything they couldn’t put into words.

It’s the same energy that flows between them while Valentina paints Juliana. When she finishes, Juliana pulls her into a feverish kiss that seems to last for hours. She doesn’t mind one bit that her work gets a little smudged. In fact, she wants to wipe it off completely, to replace the paint with her mouth and tongue instead. But it’s really late and their eyes begin to droop, so Valentina decides to wait until morning to give in to her desires. She tucks herself into the nook of Juliana’s neck and decides it’ll better in the morning when their stamina is replenished and they’ve recovered from the exertion they’ve already put each other through.

Valentina thinks it’s a fantastic idea, except it turns out to be a huge mistake. They wake up to find the paint ended up all over their bare bodies and a bit on the sheets. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the mistake. No, the mistake was that in her haste to paint Juliana, Valentina had used acrylic instead of watercolor. It takes them the whole morning to get the paint off their bodies, and although it’s a huge pain, Valentina can’t be too bothered by it. Not when she gets to spend a few of hours in the shower with Juliana, giggling as they take turns washing each other clean.

So that’s how Valentina spends her days in Mérida. Never in a million years would she have anticipated any of this, but she’s happy to find herself in the midst of it anyway. And it’s amazing, it really is, but she can’t completely distract herself from her internal conflict. As much as Valentina wants to act like what she’s doing isn’t that big of a deal, it is. For so many reasons, what she’s doing is a huge deal, and the constant mental gymnastics she does in order to pretend otherwise exhausts her to no end. 

Truthfully, Valentina is just waiting at this point. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the moment where this idyllic mirage she’s carefully crafted crumbles around her and she’s smacked with a heavy dose of reality. She gets into these moods whenever this feeling creeps up on her and it gets to be overwhelming sometimes. But if there is anything more constant than her inner struggles, it’s Juliana. She never fails to calm Valentina’s racing thoughts and pull her back into the present. What Valentina finds to be so beautiful about it, is she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. Nevertheless, as soon as those dark brown eyes find her own, Valentina feels like she can breathe again. She feels tranquility wash over her.

* * *

“This is tough.” Kenzie complains as she stares despairingly at her canvas.

“Watercolor can be really unforgiving when it comes to mistakes.” Valentina solemnly as she peers over the blonde’s shoulder.

Kenzie looks up at her with a smirk. “Unless you’re trying to washing it off your body, right?”

Valentina’s face goes red and she purses her lips. “You know what—”

“What?” Kenzie shoots back, quickly.

They hold each other’s stare for a few moments before bursting into giggles. Valentina gives Kenzie’s shoulder a small shove and gets one back in return.

“You’re making me regret this. I didn’t have to take time out of my afternoon to help you out, yet here I am.”

“Hey, no! We could’ve kept our usual schedule this morning. It’s not my fault you got caught up in… _other things_.” Kenzie replies as she side eyes Valentina.

“Mackenzie!” Valentina lets out a disbelieving laugh. “I swear you’re just as bad as Nick sometimes!”

“No one is as bad as Nick. I just call like I see it.” Kenzie says with a shrug. “Besides, it’s not my fault you two have absolutely zero chill!”

Valentina buries her face in her hands, before looking back at Kenzie. “Duly noted. Now let’s back to our lesson, please? Before I decide to get into my van and drive it off a cliff.”

Kenzie snorts at that. “Sure, babe. Whatever you say.”

Valentina shakes her head at the blonde with an exasperated smile. She watches as Kenzie continues on with her painting, giving her advice and critique whenever she feels like it’s needed. After a while, Kenzie sits back and admires her work while setting down her brush and palette.

“This is a good stopping point.” She says with a nod.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. If I go any more, I will punch a hole through this canvas.”

Valentina cracks a smile at that. “Kenz, it’s coming along great. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

“I know! But you know how it is. Old habits die hard.” Kenzie says with a roll of her eyes. “Thank you for this, by the way.”

Valentina’s lips turn up into a sly smirk. “No need to thank me. You weren’t wrong about my distractedness this morning.”

Kenzie chuckles and nudges Valentina’s side. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, thanks for showing me all of this. For taking the time to teach me what you know.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I love our little sessions out here.”

“Still though, I feel like I should pay you for this.” Kenzie shrugs. “You’re crazy talented and this isn’t easy.”

“No it’s not easy, but I’d never accept payment from you.” Valentina shakes her head. “Or from anyone else for that matter.” 

“You should. You could make a good living off of this.”

“Spoken like a true business major.” Valentina jokes, and gets another eye roll from the blonde. “No, I can’t charge anyone for this. There are so many better artists out there who have put their blood, sweat, and tears into their profession. I’ve had the luxury of private instructors, endless amounts of time, and money. It wouldn’t feel right charging for this.”

“Spoken like a true hippie.”

Valentina laughs loudly as she throws her head back. “I mean, you’re not wrong.”

There’s a lull in the conversation as they start cleaning up. Valentina is setting the canvas off to the side to let it dry when she notices Kenzie studying her while cleaning off the brushes she used.

“What?” Valentina asks, feeling a bit self-conscious.

“You’re a pretty grounded person, you know that?”

Valentina tips her head back in surprise. “That’s a first I usually get the opposite.”

“And what’s the opposite?” Kenzie asks.

She winces slightly. “People usually say I have my head in the clouds.”

“Oh, you definitely do.” Kenzie replies instantly, and furrows her eyebrows when Valentina bites the inside of her cheek in response. “Does that bother you?”

Valentina shrugs. “I don’t know. It feels sort of invalidating sometimes. Like they’re saying I don’t take anything seriously, and I live in a fantasy world.”

“I don’t know babe, it sounds like you’re holding other people’s opinions way too highly. They can say what they want, but it’s not a bad thing to have your head in the clouds. You may be a dreamer and a sentimentalist, but you’re not naive. You’re not blind to the realities of the world just because your lifestyle is different than the rest. You acknowledge your privilege and you pay it forward in any way that you can.”

Valentina wants to respond, but her throat is too constricted for her to form any words. Luckily, Kenzie continues on, so she doesn’t have to use her vocal cords.

“And that’s what makes you a grounded person, too. It’s not the entirety of your essence, but it’s definitely there.” She tilts her head side to side and leans in towards Valentina conspiratorially. “It’s also why I think you and Juli balance each other out very well.”

Valentina tilts her head at that. “What do you mean?”

“For as long as I’ve known her, Juli has always been a headstrong person. She knows what she wants when she wants it, and no one can tell her otherwise. _But_ , she also has this carefree way about her at the same time. She’s the yin to your yang. You get me?”

Valentina does get Kenzie. She gets her a little too much. It’s one thing for Valentina to try to comprehend the ever growing depth of her feelings for Juliana, but it’s another thing for someone to spell it out so blatantly and in such a casual way. It’s a bit disconcerting. Thankfully, or possibly unthankfully, Juliana decides that’s the perfect moment to join them outside.

“Speak of the sexy devil.” Kenzie’s lips turn up into a sly smirk as Juliana approaches them.

The woman in question shoots Kenzie a bemused smile. Curiously, her dark eyes glance between Valentina and Kenzie, but she doesn’t question them much to the brunette’s relief. 

“Good to know I’m devilishly sexy.” Juliana jokes, before looking over at Valentina. “You ready?”

“Oh, uh yeah.” Valentina’s brain catches up to her, and she looks at the scattered art supplies littering around the backyard. “Yeah, I just have to…”

Kenzie nudges her towards Juliana. “Go ahead, I got this.”

“Are you sure?”

“ _Positive_. Go have fun.” She encourages.

Valentina beams, and places a chaste peck on the blonde’s cheek. “Thanks babe.” 

She quickly heads into her van to grab her camera and wallet, before rejoining Juliana and taking her hand. They say their goodbyes to Kenzie, and Valentina allows herself to be led out of the backyard and onto the sidewalk.

“Looks like I have some competition.” Juliana says playfully, as she nudges Valentina with her shoulder.

“Oh, please.” She rolls her eyes. “There’s no contest, Kenzie obviously wins.”

Juliana barks out a laugh, and begins pulling her hand away. “Ah damn, should I go get her? You two can go out while I put your art things away.”

“Juls, no!” Valentina whines, as she holds onto Juliana’s hand tighter. “I was kidding, of course you win.”

“I don’t know if I believe you…” Juliana says with faux uncertainty.

Valentina tilts her head to the side and gives her an exasperated smile. She moves forwards quickly, pressing her lips fully onto Juliana’s. She pulls back and brushes their noses together, softly.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all day. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you walk away from me right now.” 

A nearly imperceptible blush adorns Juliana’s cheeks as her eyes shine brightly. “I guess I can’t argue with that. Come on.”

She squeezes Valentina’s hand assuringly, and they continue on their way with giddy smiles and bashful side glances. 

As they walk leisurely to their destination, they fill each other in on their day. Juliana tells her all about her slow mid-shift, and Valentina tells her about her afternoon painting session with Kenzie. She purposefully leaves out the conversation they had right before Juliana joined them in the backyard. Valentina hasn’t had a chance to process any of Kenzie’s words, and she doesn’t have the slightest clue how to go about bringing it up with Juliana. She worries that Juliana will ask her out of curiosity, but fortunately for her, they jump from topic to topic, and the conversation never gets brought up.

“And it couldn’t have been purely coincidental?” Juliana asks as she swings their hands in between them.

“Purely coincidental?” Valentina asks, incredulously. “That he ate ten minutes before jumping into the pool and got a cramp?”

“It happens!” Juliana exclaims with a shrug.

“Yes, it does happen! It happens when you don’t wait thirty minutes!” Valentina exclaims with a laugh, ignoring the eye roll she receives. “Besides, I’ve never seen my brother get a cramp before then, and I haven’t seen him get one since, so…”

“You’re telling me your brother has never gotten another cramp in his life?” She asks skeptically.

“No, I’m sure he has. _I’ve_ just never seen it.”

Juliana throws her head back and laughs. “I always thought I was stubborn, but you’re impossible!”

“It’s part of my charm.” Valentina flashes a dazzling smile at her.

“Oh, is that what you call it? Charm?” Juliana quirks her eyebrow, and she nods back emphatically.

“Claro que sí!” She beams, and loops her arm around Juliana’s neck so that it’s draped over her shoulders with their hands still clasped together.

Both ladies giggle, as Valentina knocks their heads together gently. Juliana continues to lead them through the streets of Mérida to Parque de Santa Ana. The route has become familiar to Valentina, given how long she’s been in the city now. It really surprises her how that little fact doesn’t feel suffocating to her at all.

As they reach their destination, Valentina’s body buzzes with excitement as she takes in the sight all around her. The entire park is lit up with twinkling lights, and somewhere in the distance she can hear live music playing. There are food vendors stationed everywhere, permeating the air with wonderful smelling aromas, while swarms of people eagerly wait in line to get a taste.

“You told me we were going for a walk to the park!” Valentina looks over at Juliana with a smile plastered on her face.

Juliana shrugs and gives her a cheeky grin. “Well, we did walk to the park. And now we get to eat at the park, too.”

Valentina huffs out in amusement and places a kiss on Juliana’s cheek. Her blue eyes light up as she takes in all the food around her. It all looks so good, and she’s determined to try a little of everything, even if it kills her. She tells Juliana as such, and earns a hearty laugh in return for her dramatics.

They stop at a few vendors, both of them getting a few servings of different things, before making their way to an empty spot on an outcropping to enjoy their food. They have a great time fully absorbed in each other and their own little world. Valentina tries not to swoon every time Juliana feeds her a bite of her food, while Juliana laughs and covers her face to avoid the candids Valentina takes of her.

Once their food is finished, Juliana leaves Valentina sitting in their spot to pick up a treat for them that she swears by. It’s a snack Valentina isn’t too familiar with, but it’s very popular in Yucatán and she can’t wait to try it. As she patiently waits for Juliana’s return her eyes dance across the park, taking in everything she can and snapping a few photos where she can. 

After about fifteen minutes of Juliana being gone, Valentina looks around to see if she can spot her in the crowd. When she does, a knot forms in the pit of her stomach. Juliana is talking with a beautiful woman, as they slowly walk in her direction. Valentina can’t help but analyze them, as she bites the inside of her cheek. They seem familiar with each other, the way they’re talking and smiling. She huffs out in annoyance, and tears her gaze away from them when she sees the woman clutch onto Juliana’s forearm as she laughs. A plethora of unfamiliar emotions churn in the pit of Valentina’s stomach. Doing her best to ignore them, she crosses her arms and focuses her attention on the band, deciding that Juliana will join her when she’s ready.

She doesn’t have to wait long. Not even a minute passes before Juliana is plopping down next to her with a big smile.

“I’m back!” She grins, cheerfully.

“Hi.” Valentina shoots her a quick smile, before averting her gaze back to the band.

Juliana pauses at the cold greeting, and immediately Valentina feels awful. But even with the guilt eating away at her, she still keeps her eyes locked straight ahead. She knows she’s acting childish, but her annoyance is still very much present and she isn’t sure what to do with that. It’s only when she feels a warm hand on her thigh, does she finally make eye contact with Juliana.

“Is everything okay?”

Valentina gives a small shrug. “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?”

Juliana pauses again and studies her face. Valentina squirms a little under the scrutiny, but doesn’t avert her eyes.

“Okay.” Juliana says slowly. “Well, sorry I took so long. I ran into an old coworker I haven’t seen in ages.”

“Oh?” Valentina’s voice goes up an octave.

“Yeah, it was so random!” Juliana shakes her head. “I didn’t even know she was in town.”

Valentina has to crack a smile at that. “You might’ve if you reactivated your instagram.”

Juliana laughs at that. “Yeah you’re probably right. I’m still not doing it though.”

“Now who’s the stubborn one?”

Juliana laughs again and Valentina beams at her reaction. Her earlier annoyance dissipates, but it’s quickly replaced with embarrassment. An old coworker. Juliana was talking with an old coworker. She wants to kick herself for assuming the worst. For assuming she has any right to be mad at all. Regardless if it was a friend or a stranger whom Juliana was talking to, what would it matter? Should it matter? Valentina wishes she could make sense of her thoughts, but she’s at a loss.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Juliana asks with furrowed eyebrows.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She mumbles out with a wince. “Sorry, I know I’m acting weird.”

A teasing smile breaks across Juliana’s face. “Not any more than usual.”

“Shut up.” Valentina nudges Juliana’s shoulder, playfully.

They both chuckle as the tension between them finally evaporates. Valentina takes a deep breath and mentally shakes off her negative energy. She leans her body closer to Juliana, and smiles when an arm is thrown around her waist and she’s pulled further into the other woman’s body.

“Here,” Juliana holds up the forgotten treat she had left to retrieve for them. “This is a marquesita. It’s one of the best snacks you’ll ever have in the Yucatán Peninsula.”

“Oh, so the hype is real.” Valentina jokes as she takes the offered snack.

She inspects with an arched eyebrow. It looks like a rolled up waffle stuffed with cheese and jelly. Tentatively, she brings it closer to her face and breathes it in through her nose, humming at the delicious scent.

“ _Why_?” Juliana asks, with an infectious laugh. “Why do you sniff at everything I give you?”

A laugh bubbles out from Valentina. “I get curious!”

“Yeah, mhm.” Juliana nods, sarcastically. “Just try it. I promise it’ll be the best thing you ever taste.”

“Oh?” She smirks. “And what if I don’t like it? Cheese and jelly doesn’t seem like the best combination.”

Dark brown eyes sparkle. “If you don’t like it I’ll buy you one of everything from every single vendor here. But it won’t come to that. You’re going to love it.”

Valentina giggles. “That’s hefty wager, and I like my odds.”

She takes a small bite, not expecting to care too much for the treat. The flavor explodes in her mouth, and her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Valentina looks over at Juliana with wide eyes and earns a pleasant laugh in return.

“What did I tell you?” Juliana asks with a shit-eating grin. “I knew you’d love it!”

It’s truly amazing. Valentina couldn’t deny it even if she wanted to. She takes bigger bite this time, trying to savor it as much as possible before passing it over to Juliana. She really doesn’t want to share, but it would be rude of her not to. One thing she knows for sure, Juliana was right. Valentina really does love it.

* * *

“You were jealous.” Nick states simply, before taking a swig of his beer.

Valentina recoils at his words, and looks at him incredulously. “Sorry, _what_?”

He lets out a loud burp. “Jealous. You were jealous.”

“I— no, I don’t—” Valentina stumbles over her words, trying to get her thoughts together.

She did not get jealous. She does not get jealous. Ever. Plain and simple. She’s a free spirit, a wanderer, a nomad. Nothing about her is possessive or clingy. It’s not in her nature… right?

She lets out a disbelieving scoff at herself when the reality of it all sets in.

“It’s okay, take your time.” Nick half jokes, as he takes the spatula from her.

Valentina scowls at him as he flips the patties that are simmering on the grill. He sneaks a glance at her, and snickers into his beer when he clocks her expression. Valentina narrows her eyes at him, and places her hands on her hips as she paces back and forth on the patio.

“Okay… let’s say you’re right.” She stops pacing, and extends her arms out. “What does that even mean?”

Nick’s face scrunches up in confusion. “What do you mean, what does that mean? It means you got jealous.”

“Yeah, but what does that mean?” She reiterates, still not understanding the core concept of it all.

“Are— are you asking me what it means to be jealous?” He arches an eyebrow at her. 

Mildly embarrassed, Valentina ducks her head and nods. 

“You’ve never been jealous before?” Nick asks incredulously.

“Between my two subpar ex-boyfriends and the handful of people I’ve slept with throughout the years… yeah, _no_.” Valentina says, exasperatedly. “I’ve never been jealous.”

“Huh.” Nick rubs his chin, as he contemplates his words. “Well, if you’re jealous then it means you that care. Probably a lot more than you think you do. But it could also mean you’re insecure.”

Valentina jerks her head back. “ _Excuse me_?”

“Let me finish!” He holds his hands up, and she reluctantly nods for him to continue. “Usually, if a person gets jealous, it means they’re either insecure or possessive. I doubt there’s a possessive bone in your body, so I’m guessing this is probably stemming from insecurity. Not so much from yourself, but instead from not knowing where you stand with Juli. 

If you got jealous, then it means you saw the other woman as a threat. You saw her as someone who has the potential to take Juli’s affections away from you. If you knew where you two stood with each other, if you knew without a doubt, there was no way Juliana would ever look at anyone else the way she looks at you, then you wouldn’t have gotten jealous. But that isn’t the case.”

Valentina blows out a big breath as she lets Nick’s words sink in. She hates to admit it, but he’s making a lot of sense. As much as Valentina cares about Juliana, she isn’t sure of what they are or what they’re doing. She’s not sure what any of this truly means, and the notion of that terrifies her because of how easily things have escalated between them. It really shouldn’t have gotten to this point, yet Valentina doesn’t think things could’ve gone any differently.

“Shit.” She mumbles, and grabs her beer, downing it all in one go.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world.” Nick says with a shrug as he gives her a side glance.

“No, it’s not.” Valentina agrees. “It’s also not the most… practical thing in the world.”

Nick purses his lips and shrugs at her. “I didn’t think you cared so much for practicality.”

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek. “Thanks, Nick. I really needed to talk this out.” 

He quirks his brow at her for bypassing his comment. It makes Valentina feel a bit unsteady, but she’s determined not to have _that_ conversation with him. She can barely have it with herself. Her nerves calm when Nick just smiles and passes the spatula back to her.

“Anytime.” He says, kindly, and holds up his beer. “I’m going to grab another one of these. I’m assuming you want one, too?”

“Yes, please.” She nods, and goes back to flipping the burgers.

Jealous. Valentina got jealous and she didn’t even realize it until it was pointed out to her. She feels a mixture of irritation and embarrassment towards herself. While trying to bury her feelings, she succeeded in burying her ability to self-reflect. Valentina has succeeded in being dishonest with herself. That alone bothers her more than anything, because it’s not like her to act this way. 

Nick returns and hands her the opened bottle. Valentina takes it graciously, and sips it absentmindedly as she watches the burgers cook. Nick pulls her out of her thoughts, telling her a funny story that happened at work and asking about her day. She feels herself getting out of her own head the more they talk and laugh. They eat their burgers outside, enjoying the cool evening and the setting sun. When they finish their meal, Nick makes two more burgers and begins wrapping them up.

“I’m going to head to the bar to drop these off for the girls and have a drink. Want to come?” He asks.

Valentina hesitates, not sure if she should tag along. There have been a lot of revelations in the last forty-eight hours, and for the first time since she’s met Juliana, Valentina feels like putting some distance between them. 

“Come on, Val. You need to get out of your head for a little bit, and the best way to do that is to grab a drink and hang out with your friends.”

Valentina’s lips turn up at that. Friends. She needs to hang out with her friends. Warmth floods through her, but quickly vanishes when a different thought hits her square in the chest

 _Friends_. 

She needs to hang out with her _friends_. 

Is that all Juliana is to her? A friend? Is that all Valentina is to Juliana? Maybe Valentina would have answers to all of these questions if she purposefully didn’t try to bury them all deep within her. 

“Hey!” Nick’s voice breaks her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see him holding the backdoor open. “You coming?”

With only a slight hesitancy in her reply, Valentine mumbles out a quiet, “Yeah.”

She keeps her head down as she walks through the door. There are barely any words spoken between them as she waits for him to get his keys and wallet before they head out to his car. Luckily, the ride to the bar is quick. It’s a bit more packed considering it’s a Friday, but she and Nick are able to snag a spot at the bar. Juliana and Kenzie give them huge smiles when they spot them, before going back to their tasks. A small smile blossoms involuntarily on Valentina face as she watches Juliana talk animatedly with her customers as she serves them. She barely notices when Kenzie makes it over to them first. She beams at them when Nick holds the food out to her.

“Aw thanks, babes!” Kenzie clutches the container to her chest as she looks between the two of them.

“Anytime.” Nick shrugs at her.

“Promoted to delivery boy, Nick? How cute.” Victor snidely remarks, as he pours a beer out into a pint glass.

Nick smirks at him mockingly. “At least I can get a promotion, barback.”

Valentina snaps her head to look at him with a shocked smile, and lets out a pleasant laugh. Nick usually ignores Victor or responds indifferently to his jabs, but it looks like he’s snapping back tonight, and Valentina is living for it. Victor gives Nick a withering glare, but before he can say anything, Juliana intervenes.

“Victor, go replace the urinal cakes.” She says, as she takes the glass from him.

His eyes bulge out. “What?”

“You heard me.” Juliana responds, firmly.

“What about the bar? My customers?” He pushes back.

“Kenzie and I can handle it. Like we always do.” She counters. “Besides, it shouldn’t take too long, unless you’re somehow incompetent at that as well. Now go. And while you’re back there, reflect on your customer service skills.”

Victor’s jaw flexes, and Juliana arches her eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything else. Without another word, he leaves the bar and heads towards the restrooms. Juliana and Kenzie share a look, before Juliana moves to cover Victor’s area, and Kenzie pours Nick and Valentina their drinks. Valentina isn’t able to take her eyes off of Juliana after that. She won’t lie, seeing her act so authoritatively was really hot. She a little more than flustered to say in the least, but she tries not to to give in to the feeling too easily.

When Victor gets back, he makes sure to keep his distance and doesn’t spare any of them a second glance. Kenzie goes on a quick break when he returns, and joins them on the other side of the bar to talk while she munches on her burger. When her break is up, Valentina expects Juliana to go on hers and join them, but to her dismay the dark haired woman keeps on working.

Valentina is slightly disappointed she doesn’t get much face time with Juliana aside from her coming around to make their drinks and check in. It’s a major contrast to how she was feeling back at the house, but the more she thinks about it, the more it doesn’t surprise her. Juliana has the ability to do that. To help Valentina shut off her mind and just be. To indulge in her presence without worrying so much. Valentina also thinks that might be the problem too.

She also thinks maybe it’s a good thing she doesn’t have Juliana’s undivided attention. It allows Valentina to sit back and observe her. And maybe that’s really what she needs. Between her conversation with Nick earlier and with Kenzie the day before, she has a lot to consider. But it doesn’t help that anything Juliana does produces a giddiness in her that she can’t seem to taper down.

Valentina supposes this may be the answer. That feeling she has been trying so desperately not to think about, that same feeling she can’t quite put into words, is exactly what she needs to focus on. Because there are many things in this world she is unsure about. It comes with her lifestyle. But what she feels when she’s around Juliana is more instinctual than anything. And it doesn’t help that her eyes always seem to seek out Juliana at every opportune moment.

And this little factoid becomes extremely apparent when she tries desperately to focus on her conversation with Nick, as well as the other patrons of the bar they’ve managed to befriend during their time at the bar. However, Juliana continues to pull her attention. Without even trying, the gorgeous, dark haired woman manages to enrapture Valentina in the best way possible, and after her fourth drink Valentina hardly seems to mind. Even if it causes Nick to roll his eyes and waves hand in front of her face whenever she suddenly spaces out mid conversation to watch Juliana do her thing. 

As the night progresses, Valentina becomes more confidant in her affections for the beautiful, magnetic woman. She may not be able to verbalize those affections, but they’re there, bubbling at the surface. The more she thinks about it, the more heat rushes through her veins and tints her cheeks. It could also be all of the alcohol she’s consumed going to her head, but Valentina won’t dwell on that little fact.

So, she continues to divide her time between admiring Juliana, and conversing with Nick and their newfound friends whose names Valentina doesn’t quite remember. It’s not a terrible way to spend her time. Not in comparison to the night she would’ve had if she hadn’t let Nick convince her to come out. And she has a wonderful time. As much as she loves the unfamiliar sense of complacency she’s been feeling while spending time with the three friends, she also can’t remember the last time she’s met and befriended new people at a bar. The old, yet accustomed feeling rejuvenates her and makes her extra talkative and outgoing. Unfortunately, she does have to keep leaning away from the guy sitting to her left. He gets a bit too friendly from time to time, but he’s harmless enough and backs off every time she deflects his subpar flirting.

Really, this nameless individual shouldn’t carry so much weight, but a terrible part of Valentina, the worst instinct in her, almost likes the attention. Or, she likes it up until she realizes Juliana barely pays the guy, as well as his shoddy flirting, any mind. When Juliana’s attention does drift to Valentina, it’s only to flash her a brief, but earnest smile, or a quick, yet meaningful wink. And soon enough, the guy next to Valentina stops his lame attempts when he notices her gaze barely drifts towards him whenever he opens his mouth.

Juliana’s negligence of noticing the guy almost irritates Valentina. She wonders why the nameless individual to her left has such little impact on Juliana. It bothers her, but at the same time, she’s able to let it go. Valentina is able to bury it with drinks and laughter and barely discernible bites to the insides of her cheeks whenever she tries to block that nagging flinging from her mind. So, she keeps drinking and keeps talking to Nick, and to the people on the other side of Nick. She keeps talking and drinking until the bar becomes noticeably more empty. Until the people start leaving and the bar dwindles down to her, Nick, Juliana, and Kenzie.

“Do you want me to warm that up for you?” Kenzie asks Juliana as she finally unwraps her hamburger and takes a bite of it.

Juliana shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’m too hungry to care.”

Valentina’s eyes widen. “Wait, you’re barely eating?”

“Yeah…” Juliana trails off, and glares at Kenzie when is ‘tsks’ at her. “It was busy!”

“It was busy, or you forgot?” Kenzie arches her eyebrow gives her a knowing look, and Juliana looks down sheepishly. “Oh my god, Juli, I reminded you like three times.”

“I know.” She mumbles softly, still looking down.

“How did you forget?” Kenzie asks, with an amused grin.

“I don’t know.” Juliana mumbles again, looking properly reprimanded.

Valentina leans her chin on her hands and smiles openly at Juliana, finding her to be downright adorable. She wants nothing more than to plant a kiss firmly on plump lips. Valentina glares down at the bar, upset that it’s so obtrusively in her way. It’s extremely rude, because the bar is finally empty and she has no reason to hold back from kissing Juliana. The only thing stopping her is the hunk of wood between her and her desire. Suddenly, she’s struck with an inquisitive thought as she looks around the empty cantina.

“Wait, are we allowed to be here after hours like this?” Valentina asks.

The three friends fall quiet. Nick and Juliana’s eyes fall on Kenzie. Both are wearing knowing smiles as they wait for the blonde to answer Valentina’s question.

A sly smirk forms on Kenzie’s face as she shrugs noncommittally at Valentina. “Well, I don’t see why not… I _am_ buying the bar after all.”

Valentina’s jaw drops as she looks at her friend in pure astonishment. “Mackenzie Scott, are you fucking kidding me?”

Kenzie laughs happily. “Not at all! It’s been a grueling few months of negotiations with the owner, but after all this time, the paperwork will finally be officiated by next week. It also helps that I’m finally a fully naturalized citizen of México.”

“Babe!” Valentina gushes, as her hands tap enthusiastically on the countertop. “This is exciting news I’m so happy for you!”

Kenzie ducks her head, bashfully. “Thanks, babe! It hasn’t been easy. Especially since this one here has ignored my advise on becoming a partner.”

She tilts her head towards Juliana, and Valentina’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Her eyes slide over to the woman in question, but Juliana doesn’t meet her gaze. Instead she rolls her eyes as she pours out mezcal into four shot glasses.

“And look at what you accomplished without me.” She says offhandedly as she passes around the glasses. “Now, how about we enjoy these celebratory shots. Although… I’m not sure if you two should have any.”

Juliana carefully eyes Nick and Valentina, as her hand protectively wraps around the glasses. She isn’t wrong to hold the alcohol from them, but it doesn’t stop the duo from voicing their complaints as Kenzie laughs.

“Stop being mean and give them their shots.” Kenzie says, as she lightly smack Juliana’s shoulder. “We’re trying to celebrate here!”

Juliana chuckles as she distributes the glasses. Nick snatches his shot quickly and pokes his tongue out at Juliana. In return she pretends to lung forward at him, before they both fall into a fit of giggles. Kenzie and Valentina roll their eyes at them, but smile at their silliness nonetheless. Once their laughter dies down, the four friends hold their glasses out and clink them together.

“To Kenzie” Juliana cheers. “You’ve come so far, and have so much more to go. We’re proud of you, babe!”

Nick and Valentina whoop and whistle at Juliana’s words. Kenzie, for her part, blushes as she lets out a happy chuckle. Then all at the same time, they shout:

“Salud!”

* * *

Valentina hungrily attacks Juliana lips, nipping and sucking at the plump flesh. Juliana stumbles backwards into her room, and Valentina takes that opportunity to slam the door shut behind her. She moves forward, leading them towards the bed as her hands move down to undo the button of Juliana’s jeans.

“Whoa!” Juliana pulls away, and grabs Valentina’s hands. “Slow down.”

Valentina hums in reply, her lips moving to Juliana’s neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on the sensitive flesh. She smiles to herself when she hears Juliana’s breath hitches. She suckles at her pulse point, wanting to draw out a moan.

“Val, wait.” Juliana tries to get her attention again.

This time, she places her hands on Valentina’s shoulders, and pushes her away gently. Valentina pouts at Juliana, not wanting an inch of space between them. She trails her hands along Juliana’s arms, and tilts her head to the side, questioningly.

“We should go to bed.” Juliana insists with a soft smile. “You’ve had a lot to drink tonight.”

“I don’t want to go to bed, I want you.” Valentina states, plainly.

Juliana’s lips turn upwards at that. “Aw shucks. Well when you put it like that…” 

Excitement courses through Valentina. She leans in towards Juliana, but the other woman easily sidesteps her, and walks over to her dresser.

“I still think we should go to bed.” She turns to face Valentina with two sets of pajamas in her hand, and a smirk on her face.

Valentina groans out her dismay, but doesn’t argue when Juliana has her sit on the bed and helps her change. She enjoys having Juliana’s attention focused on her in this way. Her touch is always so careful and deliberate, and it warms Valentina’s insides. Juliana leads them to the bathroom, and they go through their nightly routine with only some minor complications. When they return to the room, Juliana has Valentina sit on her bed again, and hands her some painkillers and a glass of water. Valentina takes them, and downs all of the water without a fuss, still preening at Juliana’s attentiveness.

“I missed you today.” Valentina says as she tries to block out the spinning room.

“What do you mean?” Juliana asks, as a smile grows on her face. “We were with each other all night.”

“But you were working. It’s not the same, I didn’t have your full attention.” She shakes her head.

Juliana laughs quietly, and cups Valentina’s cheeks with both her hands. “I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to give you more attention next time.”

“No, I want all of your attention.” Valentina insists as her pout deepens. 

“All of it? So needy.” Juliana teases as she scratches lightly at the spot in Valentina’s hair behind her ear. “It won’t be good for business, but okay.” 

She arches her eyebrow at Juliana’s words. Her lips purse as she tries to see if Juliana is being serious or if she’s trying to placate her.

“Just like that?” She asks skeptically, as her bottom lip juts out. “You lie.”

“Never.” Juliana says with a quiet laugh. “How can I say no when you look at me like that?”

Valentina’s stomach erupts in butterflies and she bites her lip. She tugs at Juliana’s shirt and is thrilled when the tanned beauty complies with her silent request. She pulls Valentina in for a soft kiss, and both women melt into it. If Valentina could compare Juliana’s kisses to anything, she’d compare them to the first touch of cool satin sheets against her bare body on a hot summer day. It’s an intoxicating feeling Valentina wants to live in forever. She clutches at Juliana’s sides, never wanting to let go. She makes a noise of complaint when the kiss is broken, but doesn’t try to fight it.

She opens her eyes and finds Juliana’s gaze already on her. Seconds tick by as they stare at each other uninhibitedly. Their eyes communicate the words their mouths refuse speak. Juliana is unwavering in the way she regards Valentina, and it confuses the brunette because it seems like Juliana is trying to convey something to her that she can’t quite grasp. The alcohol coursing through her system muddles her thoughts as she tries to make sense of it all. The more she tries to sort through it, the harder it is to remain anchored, making it feel like she’s navigating through choppy waters on a tiny raft.

The spinning room imitates her spiraling thoughts. Valentina desperately wants to shut her eyes, to block it all out and pretend it doesn’t matter, but she doesn’t. She _can’t_ , because Juliana’s warm, inviting eyes haven’t left hers for a second. Her brown eyes feel like a lifeline, pulling Valentina to dry land. She puts all of her energy on focusing on the woman in front of her. To let the security of Juliana’s presence soothe her worries. Soon enough, the room stops spinning, and it feels like Valentina finally feels grounded again.

“Come on, let’s go to sleep.” Juliana’s soft voice breaks through the silence.

Valentina lets her eyes fall close at the sound, as a smile breaks out across her face. It’s an involuntary reaction to the calming sound of Juliana’s voice. If Juliana’s kisses are like cool satin sheets in the summer, then the timbre of her voice is like a soft, velvety blanket cocooning her in the winter. Both have the ability to soothe and devastate Valentina at the same time.

“Val?” Juliana calls out to her. “You still with me?”

Valentina’s smile grows, because yes, of course she’s still with Juliana. She can’t think of any other place she’d rather be. She slowly blinks her eyes open to see Juliana looking at her with the fondest smile.

“What?” She asks, confused at the expression she’s receiving .

“Nothing.” Juliana shakes her head as she bites her lip. “Get comfortable while I get the light.”

Valentina doesn’t have to be told twice. She shimmies under the covers and waits to Juliana’s arms to circle her waist join her. A happy smile graces her lips when Juliana’s front presses into her back.

“This is more like it.” Valentina jokes. “I have you all to myself.”

“I don’t know why you’re being so grumpy about this.” Juliana teases her with a laugh, and she pecks the back of her head. “Besides, it wasn’t like you were lacking in attention tonight.”

Valentina’s eyebrows shoot up at that. She hadn’t realized Juliana noticed the guy who had been flirting with her throughout the night. She could’ve sworn Juliana never even registered his presence at all. She turns in Juliana’s arms so she can face her.

“Oh, so you _were_ paying attention to me.” She teases as her eyes narrow.

Juliana rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Did you really think I wasn’t?”

“I don’t know.” Valentina shrugs, and blurts out without thinking, “I tried not to care about it too much.”

Perfectly sculpted eyebrows furrow at that admission. “Oh. I… don’t know how I should respond to that.”

“It’s not— no, don’t— don’t worry about it.” Valentina tries to wave off her words, but Juliana still looks apprehensive, so she tries to make a joke instead. “Did you get jealous?”

It seems to work, because Juliana’s expression shifts to amusement as she snorts out a laugh. Valentina huffs out a little laugh with her as she presses a kiss to Juliana’s jaw.

“Of course I didn’t get jealous, Val. Why would I?”

Suddenly, it feels like a switch is flipped inside of Valentina. Her good mood vanishes quickly at Juliana’s words. Why would she be jealous? Why would Juliana get jealous over someone expressing interest in her? Valentina’s smile fades as every negative connotation surrounding the words hit her like a ton of bricks.

Juliana notices her change in expression, and hers drops a little too. “Is everything okay?”

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek, and shrugs. “Yeah everything’s fine.”

“Are you sure? You don’t look fine.”

“I don’t know, Juls. I guess I thought you’d at least care a little bit.”

Juliana’s eyebrows shoot up at that, and studies Valentina’s face like she’s trying to gauge whether Valentina is being serious or not.

“I do care, Val.” Juliana says slowly. “I didn’t think I had to show you I cared by being jealous.”

“You don’t.” Valentina replies tersely.

“Are you sure about that? Because it doesn’t seem like you actually feel that way.” She responds skeptically, then her eyebrows furrow. “Wait, were you trying to make me jealous on purpose?”

Valentina jerks her head back. “What? No! I just thought that— you know what? Never mind.”

She doesn't know how she manages to do it, but she able to maneuver over Juliana and stand up from the bed abruptly. She sways a little, but Juliana’s hands shoot out to stable her. Of course she’s a lot faster, and more coordinated than Valentina right now, but she doesn’t let that stop her as she swats them away. She heads for the door, but a hand gently gripping her arm stops her.

“Val, where are you going?” Juliana asks.

“To my bed.” She responds, tugging her arm away.

Juliana sighs, clearly frustrated. A small, part of Valentina feels guilty about causing this argument. She knows she’s being ridiculous, but in her intoxicated state, she feels justified in her anger.

“Valentina, go lay down.” Juliana points to her bed.

Indignation rises in her. “Are you saying I can’t go back to my own bed?”

“No, I’m not saying that!” Juliana pinches the bridge of her nose. “Val, you’re drunk, okay? I want you to stay here, so I can keep an eye on you.”

“You don’t think I can take care of myself?” She bites back. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, Juliana. I don’t need you to do it.”

“I’m just trying to help you, Valentina!” Juliana’s voice raises as she becomes exasperated. “I know you don’t need me to take care of you, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it on your own.”

Valentina goes quiet at that. Whatever argument she has, dies in her throat. She’s still irritated, but acquiesces to Juliana, moving around the woman to go lie on the bed with an annoyed huff. Juliana sighs again and climbs onto the bed, taking the spot closet to the wall. It’s a switch from how they were situated before, from how they’re usually situated when they’re in Juliana’s bed, but Valentina wants the edge this time in case she wants to make another break for it.

They’re quiet as they stare up at the ceiling. A few tense minutes pass where they both don’t say a word or acknowledge each other. Juliana is the first to move. She turns to face Valentina and reaches out to her, but Valentina jerks away before she can make contact. Stubbornly, she turns on her side and puts her back to Juliana. She hears another sigh leave Juliana, but she refuses to cave. She squeezes her eyes shut, wanting nothing more than for this day to end. The last thing she hears before falling into a restless sleep is Juliana wishing her a goodnight.

Morning comes much quicker than Valentina likes. She wakes up to her head throbbing painfully and her throat aching for water. She sits up slowly, and holds back a wave of nausea. She blinks, looking around the room and piecing the night together. She groans, burying her face in her hands when she remembers the inane argument she pulled Juliana into right before bed.

Looking behind her, Valentina sees the other woman curled into herself with a troubled frown on her sleeping face. Her arm is stretched out in the space between them, and it looks like her fingers might’ve just barely been grazing Valentina’s back from where she was previously laying.

Guilt begins to rise in Valentina. She tries to swallow it down, to keep it at bay, but it continues to mount. She furrows her eyebrows, wondering why her guilt feels so violent, then it hits her. She leaps up from the bed, a terrible choice on her part, and rushes out of the room. She barely makes it in time to the toilet and empties the contents of her stomach.

When she’s finished, she stands slowly, feeling a little bit better. She flushes the toilet, and moves to the sink to brush her teeth. She spends an extra ten minutes washing her face, finding a small sense of reprieve from the cool water against her heated skin. Valentina finally exits the bathroom and goes back to Juliana’s room to find it empty. She sighs and plops on the bed, once again, burying her face on her hands. When she looks up, she sees the glass of water from last night filled up and two painkillers resting next to it. 

A small smile appears on her face, but fades just as quickly. Valentina sighs shamefully, knowing she’s unworthy of the kind gesture. Really, what was she thinking? Causing an argument over jealously, or rather, a lack thereof. She was projecting her feelings from the other night onto Juliana, and lashed out when it wasn’t reciprocated. So many unresolved feelings bubbled over, and she took the frustration she feels with herself out on Juliana.

Valentina shakes her head at herself, and grabs the pills. She swallows them along with the entirety of the water. She sets the empty glass down, and grabs her phone to look at the time, seeing that it’s almost ten. Sighing, she pockets her phone, and heaves herself off the bed to search for Juliana. 

She finds her in the kitchen, gathering ingredients on the counter. Valentina crosses the distance between them, and wraps her arms around Juliana’s waist. Juliana jumps a little, not expecting the embrace. Valentina buries her face into Juliana’s hair, and takes a deep breath. A small sense of relief washes over her when Juliana relaxes into her arms.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispers, genuinely.

Juliana spins in Valentina’s arms quickly, and the brunette steps back thinking she’s in for it. What she doesn’t expect is for Juliana to pull her into a firm kiss. She cradles Valentina’s face in both of her hands and pours so much emotion into it, that Valentina feels both overwhelmed and settled. She wraps her arms around Juliana, and kisses back with just as much ferocity.

When they finally break away for some air, Valentina rests their foreheads together. Juliana moves her hand to the nape of her neck and massages at the spot. She melts into the touch, and bites her lip so she doesn’t release the whimper that wants to let out. Valentina opens her eyes when Juliana pulls back, and finds her dark brown eyes gazing imploringly into her own.

“You know I care about you right?” She asks, as she searches Valentina’s face.

“I’m sorry.” She murmurs as tears begin welling in her eyes.

“It’s okay.” Juliana whispers softly, and pulls her in for a reassuring kiss. “It is, but I need you to understand something, Val. I need you to understand that I care about you. I don’t know what I did or didn’t do to make you believe otherwise, so I’m telling you as sincerely as I can: You mean so much to me.”

“I know, Juls. I know. I’m so sorry.” Valentina kiss her back. “I care about you, too.”

She pulls Juliana in for a hug, and buries her face in the crook of her neck. They stay like that for quite a while, just holding each other. Valentina feels so many things at once, it’s almost dizzying, but for once, she doesn’t have the urge to shove the emotions down. She lets the them flow through her and thinks maybe it isn’t such a bad thing to feel this much. And even though she hasn’t had the chance to sort out what it all means, the woman she's holding in her arms lets her know she isn’t alone.

The sound of Valentina’s phone ringing pulls the women apart. She grumbles as she reaches into her pocket, ready to turn the stupid device off and throw it across the room. When she reads the name, she deflates and shoots Juliana a rueful smile.

“I’m sorry, it’s my brother. I have to answer otherwise he’ll keep calling.”

Juliana gives her a sweet smile, and nods for her to take it. Valentina presses one last kiss to her lips, and answers the call.

“What, Guille?” Valentina says, forgoing a proper greeting.

“ _Well hello to you, too!_ ” Comes her brother’s reply. “ _Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Vale?_ ”

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek, irritated. Because yes, she technically did wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

“What’s up, Guille?” She says in a nicer tone, as she balances her phone between her ear and shoulder so she can pour herself a cup of coffee.

“ _How’re you doing?_ ” He asks. “ _I haven’t heard from you these past couple of weeks._ ”

“Good. Same old, same old.” Valentina lies, hoping he doesn’t catch the waver in her voice.

There’s nothing about these past few weeks that have been business as usual for her, but Valentina doesn’t feel like explaining it all to him. She walks over to Juliana and offers her some of her coffee, which she takes graciously. She leans against the counter, and they take turns passing the mug back and forth between them.

“ _That’s good to hear._ ” He sounds cheerful, if not slightly distracted. “ _So where are you?_ ”

Valentina makes a face. “Why do you ask?”

Guille laughs. “ _Jeez, Vale. Why are you so abrupt this morning? I’m asking because Renata and I are going to be at the Grand Velas for a week. I was hoping you’d be near by and we can see each other. Maybe even hang out for a few days before you take off again?_ ”

“The Grand Velas? Where’s that?” She asks, confused.

“ _Playa del Carmen. You’re in Quintana Roo, right? I tried to time it so we’d be in the same area around the same time._ ”

Valentina furrows her eyebrows, and Juliana sends her a questioning look as she passes her the coffee back. She takes it absentmindedly, and sends her an hesitant smile, before heading to the backyard to have this conversation in private.

“Yeah, sorry.” She says into the receiver when her brother asks if she’s still there. “You’re in Playa del Carmen?”

“ _Not yet. We will be arriving tomorrow morning. Will you be there?_ ”

She pauses, unsure of what to say. She knew this moment was coming. She knew she’d have to leave Mérida, leave Juliana, at some point in the near future; however, Valentina didn’t anticipate it would be this soon. Not now, not after she just admitted to Juliana, and to herself, just how much whatever it is they’re doing means to her.

“ _Vale? Did I lose you?_ ” Guille’s voice breaks through her thoughts.

“I’m here.” Valentina mumbles.

“ _Oh, good. So, we’ll see you then?_ ” He prods.

She closes her eyes, and tries to steady her breathing. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“ _Perfect! I’ll tell Renata, she’ll be so pleased._ ”

He sounds in better spirits compared to how Valentina feels. She should feel bad about that considering she hasn’t seen her brother in nearly a year, but her thoughts are too consumed with another important person in her life.

“Yeah, I can’t wait.” She manages to say in a cheerful tone.

“ _Neither can I. So, we’ll see you tomorrow then?_ ”

“No!” She practically shouts, then closes her eyes and shakes her head at herself. “I mean, I can be there Monday.”

“ _Okay, that’s fine with me. I have to get back to packing, but I’ll see you Monday then, Vale?_ ”

“Yeah, I’ll see you on Monday, Guille.” She replies quietly. 

The siblings say their goodbyes, and Valentina ends the call. She moves to sit on the wicker couch, dropping her phone next to her, and clutching at her mug in a vice grip. She wants to kick herself. She wants to scream obscenities at the sheer stupidity of her actions these last couple of weeks. Valentina told herself she wouldn’t let her feelings go against her better judgement. She swore she wouldn’t give in to something that would never last, but here she is.

Valentina is so frustrated with herself, because all of this doesn’t just affect her. She’s embedded herself into these people’s lives. Practically moved in with them when she should’ve left the day after their trip to the cenote. As upset as she is, she’s grateful for her brother’s phone call. It was the reality check she needed.

She isn’t sure how long she sits out there, fuming at herself and at the world, but a voice pulls her out of her thoughts.

“Val?”

Valentina turns her head to see Juliana standing a few feet away from her. She looks concerned, as her eyes drift down to the mug ready to crack in Valentina’s vice grip.

“Hi.” She mumbles out.

“Is everything alright?” Juliana asks tentatively.

Valentina sets the mug down on the coffee table and scoots over. She pats at the spot next to her, motioning for Juliana to join her on the couch. When she does, Valentina takes her hand in both of hers.

“I have to leave in a few days.” She says, candidly.

Juliana releases a short, disbelieving laugh. “What?”

“I’m leaving on Monday. I’m meeting my brother in Playa del Carmen.” She explains.

“Oh.” Juliana replies, somewhat stunted. “Well… okay then.”

Valentina bites the inside of her cheek. “I’m sorry, Juls.”

Juliana smiles at her, but it looks forced. “Don’t be. You were always going to pick up and go at some point, right?”

She swallows harshly at that. She knows Juliana doesn’t mean anything bad by it, but Valentina can’t help shrinking at her words. All she can do is nod, dumbly. Because yeah, she was always going do that. It was only a matter of when.

“Come on.” Juliana stands, and tugs at her hand. “Breakfast is ready.”

Valentina lets Juliana lead her into the house and sees that Kenzie and Nick are already sitting at the table waiting for them. They take their seats, and breakfast continues as it usually does, but they both remain quiet. Their lack of enthusiasm becomes noticeable to the two friends, and they look between Juliana and Valentina with worried expressions.

“Is everything okay?” Kenzie finally asks, with a careful lilt.

Brown eyes meet blue, as both women try to figure out what to say. Juliana shrugs noncommittally and averts her eyes back to her plate. Valentina glances between Kenzie and Nick, and she blows out a breath. She might as well finish ripping off the bandaid.

“I have some news, actually.” Her voice sounds foreign to her, but she pushes past it. “I’m going to be leaving in a few days.”

“Wait what?” Nick takes off his hangover shades to look at Valentina directly. “You’re kidding, right?”

Valentina smiles sadly at him. “I’m sorry, Nick. I have to meet my brother in Playa del Carmen.”

“Shit.” Kenzie breathes out. “Well this sucks. When do you leave?”

“Monday.” Valentina answers with an apologetic expression.

“But you’ll come back, right?” Nick asks, hopefully.

“Nick…” Kenzie admonishes lightly. 

Valentina grimaces. “I don’t think so. I’m going to continue with my original plan of heading down the coast of Quintana Roo, and rounding up the country to be home in time for the holidays.”

Nick nods sadly, and the table falls quiet. Valentina glances over at Juliana to see her focused on pushing her food around with a fork, not showing any indication she’s been listening to the conversation at the table. After a couple of minutes, she stands from the table.

“I have a shift soon, so I’m going to shower.” She says, as she puts her plate in the sink.

She retreats from the kitchen without another word, leaving Valentina staring after her. She doesn’t blame Juliana though. The last twelve hours alone have been a rollercoaster of emotions for the both of them, she’d want some space as well. Nick and Kenzie do their best to carry on as usual with their conversations, but it’s more somber than anything Valentina has ever been used to with the friends. She helps them clean up the kitchen, then retires to her van for some time alone to process everything. 

Valentina curls into a ball and pulls her covers over her body, trying to hide away from the world. They are all upset. Of course they are. She appears in their lives suddenly, and is now departing from their lives just as quickly and without warning. It’s cruel. It was cruel of her to even come here to begin with.

Eventually, she pulls herself together enough to get up from her bed and make her way back into the house. As much as Valentina would love to hide away and sulk, she can’t do that. She won’t do that. She has less than two days left to spend with Juliana, so at the very least she’s going to see her off when she leaves for work. Their time is limited, and Valentina will be damned if she wastes a minute of it.

She heads toward Juliana’s room, seeking her out, but Kenzie stops her before she can make it to the hallway.

“She already left, babe.”

Valentina’s eyebrows furrow and she check the time on her phone. She couldn’t have been in her van long enough for her to miss Juliana leaving for work. She might’ve been lost in her thoughts, but it doesn’t make sense for her to lose track of that much time. When she sees the time, it finally clicks with her. Juliana’s shift doesn’t start for another hour, but she already left. She’s avoiding Valentina.

A shaky sigh leaves her and all she can do is stand there, staring blankly at her phone. She doesn’t feel any anger or blame toward Juliana. In fact, she completely understands. Still though, as much as she understands, it doesn’t take away from the hurt she feels. No, there’s no anger in her chest. Only sadness.

“Val?” Nick gets her attention. “Come watch some tv with us. Let’s get through this hangover together.”

Valentina forces a smile, and is about to decline his offer, but Kenzie speaks up before she can.

“Come on, babe. Don’t pull away from us just yet.” The blonde says softly, as she pats the spot between her and Nick.

A genuine smile breaks across her face at that. Without another word, she moves to sit between the two friends. It’s hard at first, to pay attention to the show and to Nick and Kenzie’s commentary, but finally Valentina is able to shake her dark cloud and enjoy herself. She laughs along at the scenes and joins in on the commentary. The three friends hardly move from their spot on the couch, only getting up to retrieve snacks and drinks. Valentina doesn't realize how late it gets when Nick suggests ordering takeout for dinner.

Realizing the time, nerves course through Valentina. It’s close to the time Juliana usually gets home during her mid shifts at the bar. She waits, not so patiently, for Juliana to arrive home. Her heart leaps to her throat when there’s a knock at the door, but it’s only the delivery boy dropping off their food. She berates herself at her inability to remain cool. After all, Juliana wouldn’t knock on her own door, she’d simply just walk through it. 

The night continues to drag on it, and becomes apparent to Valentina that the dark haired woman is not going to be arriving home anytime soon. It kills her, not knowing what’s going on with Juliana, but there isn’t much she can do. Sure, she can theoretically call or text her, but Valentina doesn’t want to push it. She doesn’t want to force communication with Juliana, who is obviously in need of some space from her. But it really does kill her.

It gets late enough that the friends call it a night. They yawn as they clean up the coffee table and stretch out their stiff limbs. Nick and Kenzie shoot her some concerned glances, but they don’t comment on the elephant in the room. Valentina is extremely grateful for that. She doesn’t think she’d be able to handle talking about it.

She goes through the motions of readying herself for bed. She washes her face and brushes her teeth without a fuss. When she exits the bathroom, her eyes drift to Juliana’s bedroom. Briefly, Valentina considers going to sleep in her bed, but ultimately decides against it. She doesn’t think that would be well received, so she trudges back to her van, and plops face first into her bed.

Valentina groans, and buries her face in her pillow. She stops short when she smells the unmistakable remnants of Juliana’s scent on the fabric. A sob almost escapes her, but she holds it in. She’s not going to cry over something she had complete control over. Wanting to find some solace, Valentina buries her face back into the pillow. She hates herself for finding the scent so comforting, but also she also hopes it never fades.

* * *

Valentina wakes suddenly when she feels she feels a movement on her bed. Groggy and disorientated by the darkness surrounding her, she’s about to sit up when a familiar warm body presses in behind her. A strong arm wraps around her waist, and Valentina immediately grips onto it like a lifeline.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Juliana whispers, and presses a kiss to the side of her head.

“It’s okay.” Valentina mumbles sleepily, and yawns. “What time is it?”

“Late.” Juliana replies. “Go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” She hums, and rubs soothingly at Juliana’s arm. “I’m happy you’re here.”

And she really is. As hard as the last twenty-four hours have been for them, Valentina is extremely thrilled that Juliana decided to join her in her van instead of sleeping in her own empty bed. Juliana places a kiss at the back of her head and throws a leg over her hip and snuggles Valentina to her chest. 

“I’m happy I’m here, too.” She whispers.

Valentina cranes her neck in search for Juliana, and smiles when their lips meet in a sweet kiss. They both let out a content sigh at the contact, and settle back into their position. And that’s how they stay, wrapped up in each other as they drift off to sleep until morning, when Valentina wakes up and finds herself trapped underneath Juliana’s body. She’s on her front with Juliana draping over her back, and her legs bracketing Valentina’s sides. 

She hums out appreciatively, not quite minding the weight settled onto her. She reaches her hand back, and buries it in Juliana’s dark tresses. Valentina loves playing with Juliana’s hair, especially when she sleeps. She beams when she hears a soft, airy exhale from the tanned beauty as she continues massaging her scalp.

“Good morning.” Valentina murmurs when she feels Juliana stirring.

“Mm.” Juliana grumbles back at her and buries her face in the back of her head.

Valentina chuckles quietly, and pulls her hand back, letting it drop unceremoniously onto the bed. Another grumble emits from Juliana as she reaches for Valentina’s hand to put it back in its place in her hair. She giggles as she resumes her ministrations. They lie there for some time, enjoying their morning and proximity to each other. Juliana periodically peppers kisses along Valentina’s neck and shoulder, while her hand trails a path from her hip up to her ribcage.

Valentina’s breath hitches when Juliana’s hand starts moving with purpose. It slides to her front, scratching lightly at her abdomen, and moves lower. The kisses on her neck become more urgent, and Valentina digs her fingers a little harder into Juliana’s scalp to hold her in place. Juliana cups her over her underwear and Valentina moans, shifting her hips back into her.

Juliana sits up, bringing Valentina with her, and slides her underwear down her legs. Her hands glide up Valentina’s sides as she removes her shirt. Once Valentina is bare, she tries to turn in the embrace but before she can, Juliana pulls her back into her chest. She groans as eager lips find her neck, and softs hands cup her breasts.

“Juls, take off your shirt.” She breathes out.

The hands and lips on her body disappear for a moment, while Juliana fulfills Valentina’s demand. Once her shirt is off, she presses their bodies back together. Valentina revels at the feel of their bare skin coming in contact. Juliana wastes no time as her fingers slides through her wet heat, and begins rubbing circles. Valentina slams her eyes shut and pushes her hips back against Juliana as pleasure invades all of her senses.

“This okay?” Juliana mumbles hotly in her ear.

“So good.” Valentina gasps. “Juls, please.”

Her hand grasps Juliana’s wrist and moves it lower. Juliana takes the hint and quickly plunges two fingers into her. Valentina groans and arches her back. She lets her weight rest against Juliana’s strong body, and does her best to move in time with her fingers. Valentina takes the tanned woman’s other hand and brings it up to her breast and squeezes firmly. She whimpers when Juliana rolls her nipple in between her fingers. Having Juliana buried so deep inside of her wrecks her in the best way possible. She knows she’s going to miss this. She’s going to miss Juliana so, so much.

Valentina shakes her head, trying to stop her train of thought, and turns her head to pull Juliana in for a heated kiss. It doesn’t take long for her to feel the familiar sensation of her orgasm fast approaching. Valentina breaks their kiss and lets out a loud cry just as she tips over the edge. Her body shudders, and her arms shoot out to brace herself when she falls forward. Juliana follows her, keeping up her steady pace and whispering sweet nothings into Valentina’s ear.

Valentina continues to whimper and shake as she gives herself over to the pleasure coursing through her veins. It’s too much and not enough all at once. The best she can do is sink further down onto the mattress, and weave her fingers in Juliana’s hair as a way to latch herself to the only person who makes her feel tethered. 

Finally, her body relaxes as the last of her aftershocks pass through her. They lie there for a few minutes to catch their breaths. Juliana rolls off of her, and Valentina turns on her side to face her. They smile at each other as they try to calm their racing hearts. Valentina is struck by how softly Juliana’s dark brown orbs are gazing at her. All she can do is pull Juliana into a blistering as a response. Valentina guides Juliana to straddle her as their tongues and teeth mercilessly clash against each other’s lips.

Valentina pulls back, breathing heavily as she gazes adoringly at the gorgeous woman hovering above her. She pushes Juliana’s panties down her legs, happy to get rid of the last article of between them, and grabs a handful of her backside. Their lips meet desperately as Juliana gyrates against her abdomen. Valentina groans when Juliana leaves a trail of her arousal on her flushed skin.

She cups Juliana, and pulls her forward. Juliana looks down at her with a quirk of her brow, and Valentina nods emphatically. There’s no way in hell she doesn’t want this. Juliana kisses her one last time before she moves her body forward. She hovers herself above Valentina’s mouth, and sinks down with the encouragement of the brunette. Valentina’s tongue is ready to meet Juliana’s wet heat. Her eyes roll to the back of her head at the taste, and quickly gets to work. She lavishes Juliana’s center with her tongue, enjoying every tremble and shake of tanned woman’s strong thighs.

Her blue eyes look up and catch Juliana’s brown eyes staring down at her. She lets out a shaky breath though her nose at the intense eye contact, but doesn’t falter in her attention. Juliana sinks a little lower and cups her own breasts as she gives herself over to the pleasure Valentina is inflicting on her.

Valentina, for her part, enjoys every second of Juliana grinding down onto her face. She continues to palm the supple flesh of her backside as she works her tongue deliberately. Her hand moves to Juliana’s entrance, and she wastes no time in entering her eagerly. She sighs at the feeling, and tries her best not to lose herself in the feeling of Juliana. It’s hard to do, considering how addictive Valentina finds her to be.

When Juliana breaks, Valentina swears she feels it within the fibers of her own being. She helps her ride out her orgasm, and moves her strong arms to brace against Juliana’s taut stomach. Juliana’s release subsides and Valentina helps guide her body to lay back down on the bed. 

Once their breathing evens out, Valentina straddles her. It’s an innocent gesture, really. All she wants is to feel the beautiful woman against her, so unencumbered and true. Their lips meet, and Valentina sighs. The kiss represents every emotion she’s never been able to articulate. Everything she’s shoved down these past few weeks come to a head, and she pours every ounce of her into it. When it gets to be a bit too much, she’s pulls back and looks down at Juliana with adoration.

Valentina stares in awe at the naked beauty in her bed. Her mind itches to draw her, paint her, immortalize her forever, but Valentina knows as good as her artistic talent is, she could never truly capture this goddess laying out before her. She thinks maybe she can if she painted her in oils, but Valentina’s never had the patience for oils. So she does the next best thing she can think of.

She grabs her polaroid off of her nearest shelf and holds it tentatively in her hands, silently asking for Juliana’s permission to capture her on film. A smirk graces the tanned woman’s lips and Valentina feels her heart flutter. Juliana nods slowly, her eyes gazing softly at Valentina, who gives her a soft smile in return.

“How do you want me?” Juliana’s husks out softly in that husky timbre of hers that never fails to make Valentina weak in the knees.

“Exactly the way you are.” Valentina whispers. “You’re perfect.”

Juliana flushes, and her mouth twists up into sly grin. Valentina holds the camera up to her eye and snaps the shot. She beams down at the tanned woman, as she extracts the picture from where it’s released from its slot. She’s excited to see the art that she’s captured on film. In the meantime, she draws Juliana’s lips for a sweltering kiss.

They break away when air becomes a necessary, and by that time, the picture is ready. Valentina hands it to Juliana after spending what feels like a millennia gazing at the beauty that is the woman beneath her. Juliana hums as she looks at her photo.

“Another one to add to your collection?” She teases.

Valentina gives her a bemused smile. “And what collection would that be?”

“Your polaroid collection of beautiful naked people in your bed.”

She opens her mouth to respond, then snaps it shut, and tilts her head to the side. Is that what Juliana thinks? That she has an endless rotation of people posing naked for her camera. She can’t help but to laugh at the thought.

“This may come as a shock to you, but you’re the only beautiful naked person I’ve ever had in my bed. And that polaroid collection you speak of is rather sad considering this picture is the only one in it.” She holds up Juliana’s picture.

Juliana bites her lip and looks away. Valentina pecks the edge of her mouth, and looks at the picture. Her eyes drink in every detail, as her throat constricts. She looks back at Juliana, whose eyes are already on her, and she give her a watery smile. Valentina moves forward, weaving her hand into silky dark hair. Valentina pulls Juliana into another passionate kiss, trying her best to quell the turbulent waves of her burgeoning emotions.

They break apart when a loud knock on the door echos throughout the van.

“Breakfast is ready!” Nick calls out to them.

They share a smile, neither of them wanting to leave the comforts of the van but knowing it’s inevitable.

“We’ll be right out!” Juliana shouts back.

“You better be…”

They’re barely able to make out Nick’s muttering, and laugh at his grouchiness. It isn’t undeserving, as they’ve missed quite a few meals with Nick and Kenzie because of their insatiability.

Regretfully, the ladies disentangle from each other and haphazardly throw on some clothes before heading in to join Nick and Kenzie for breakfast. A huge smile breaks out on Valentina’s face when she sees the spread of food laid out on the table. It’s a lot, but she knows they’ll clear it easily with the bottomless pits that are Nick and Juliana.

“Mimosa anyone?” Kenzie asks as she brings out a bottle of champagne.

“You don’t have to ask twice.” Juliana says delightfully as she holds out her glass of orange juice.

Valentina chuckles pleasantly, as Nick tries to knock Juliana’s glass out of the way to make room for his. Kenzie pulls the bottle back and admonishes him for almost spilling some of the champagne. Valentina’s face hurts from grinning so much but she can’t help it. She’s really going to miss these wonderful, amazing peoples she’s grown to love to much.

* * *

Valentina sighs dreamily as she runs her fingers along the soft skin of Juliana’s side. The motion soothes her just as much as it soothes the woman laying beside her. She could fall asleep this instant if she wanted to. Her eyes are closed and her breathing is evening out, but Valentina does her best not to doze off just yet. Not when the morning brings an inevitability. Not when her departure looms over her head like a reckoning she doesn’t want to deal with.

No, Valentina wants to stay here for as long as she can. In complete bliss with the most amazing woman she’s every met lying next to her. Tomorrow may bring an inevitability, but all the present brings is serenity. However temporary it is, Valentina won’t take it for granted. She’ll bask in it for as long as she can.

“Val?” Juliana murmurs quietly.

“Hm?”

“What happened to Progreso?”

Valentina slowly blinks her eyes open to see Juliana’s dark eyes fixated on her. She wants to laugh at herself, she really does. Of course Juliana had seen right through her when she first deflected the question her first night in Mérida. She let Valentina get away with it then, she didn’t push, never even brought it up after that night. But now? Now, Valentina is leaving, and Juliana is asking her why she arrived to begin with.

Valentina rolls over and off the bed. Juliana sits up, looking at her with pinched eyebrows, but she doesn’t offer an explanation. She steps over to open her cabinet, and rummages through it to find what she’s looking for.

“Val, what are you doing?” Juliana asks.

Her voice is laced with confusion. Valentina can feel her eyes boring a hole in the back of her head, but she doesn’t reply. She finally reaches the linen wrapped canvas and pulls it out. Her eyes meet Juliana’s, and she gives her a nervous smile as she sits back on the bed.

“Here. This belongs to you.” She hands it over to Juliana.

Juliana’s eyebrows furrow even more as she takes the offered item. She only begins to unwrap it when Valentina gives her a reassuring smile. Confusion morphs into surprise when the linen falls away and the painting comes into view. Juliana’s eyes find hers again, and she tilts her head to the side in a silent question.

“You uh… you were supposed to pick out something that you connected with.” Valentina explains. “Your eyes never left this painting, but you picked out something else. I don’t know what drew you to it, but I couldn’t bare the thought of someone else taking it, so I hid it away.”

Their eyes connect again, but Juliana doesn’t say anything. She seems at a loss for words, so Valentina continues.

“I was miserable in Progreso. Not because of the rowdiness or the partygoers, but because I missed you. In the short amount of time we spent together, you left a lasting impression on me that I just couldn’t shake. I wasn’t going to come here though. I really wasn’t.”

Valentina presses fingers against her forehead. She lets out a laugh through her nose, and looks back up at Juliana. 

“I opened my cabinet to look for some batteries and saw your painting there. I forgot to give it you before you left Sisal. I didn’t really think about it. I just got into the driver’s seat and started driving. Before I knew what I was doing, I was already halfway to Mérida.” Valentina mumbles the last bit.

A smile breaks across Juliana’s face. “You came down here to give me a painting?”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I came here because I couldn’t get you out of my head. I wanted to see you again, so badly. Seeing the painting in my cabinet was just the catalyst I needed to get up and make it happen.”

Juliana bites her lip and leans in, and they share a soft, sweet kiss. She pulls back and looks at the painting again. Her eyes sweep across it, tracing over every detail.

“I’ve been here before, to Ciudad del Carmen. It was a trip my mom and I took with my aunts and cousins. It was our last night in the city, and things weren’t going well for me. I remember sitting there on the dock, looking up at Virgen del Carmen and feeling hopeful. I look at this painting, and I feel hopeful.” Juliana grins at her. “Thank you, Val. This really means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome, Juls.” Valentina smiles back. “I was going to give it to you tomorrow as a parting gift, but it’s better that I give it to you now. I probably would’ve forgotten again.”

Juliana laughs, and gently sets the painting down on by the side of the bed. She pulls Valentina into a deep kiss, as she brings them back down to lay on the bed.

“I’m really going to miss you.” Juliana whispers when she breaks their kiss.

“I’m going to miss you, too. So much.” Valentina returns the sentiment.

Juliana tucks a lock of her chestnut hair behind her ear, and kisses her forehead.

“Let’s get some sleep. You have a long drive tomorrow.”

Valentina nods and shifts closer to Juliana to bury her face in her neck. Juliana pulls the covers over them, and cradles Valentina into her. She tries her best to stay awake for a bit longer, trying to revel in the comfort of being in Juliana’s arms, but her exhaustion gets the better of her. Eventually she’s lulled to sleep by the rise and fall of Juliana’s breathing and the steadfast beating of her heart.

* * *

“So, I guess this is it?” Juliana asks.

“Looks like it.” Valentina replies, sadly.

They fall silent as they gaze openly at one another. They’re lingering outside of Valentina’s van from where it’s parked out on the street. They woke up early this morning to have one last family breakfast with Nick and Kenzie before Nick had to leave for work. It was a lively affair, in that familiar and rambunctious nature Valentina has grown so used to over the past month. There were many moments when Valentina found herself close to bittersweet tears, especially when it came to an end and Nick had to leave for work.

Valentina said her goodbye to him first right before he had to leave, and then to Kenzie not long after when it was time for her to hit the road. When she turned to say goodbye to Juliana, the tanned woman insisted on walking her out to her van to see her off. It warmed Valentina’s heart, but also twisted her insides into knots. 

There are so many things Valentina wants to say to the woman in front of her, but she’s too caught up in the dark brown orbs looking at her so tenderly. She moves forward, and cups Juliana’s face between her hands. Valentina leans in slowly, and seals their lips together in a sweet kiss.

When she pulls back, Juliana keeps her eyes closed. Valentina’s lips turn up as she debates on what to say. She thinks maybe the kiss is enough, but it doesn’t feel right leaving with only that as a goodbye. She decides to be honest, to be true in her affections for the woman standing in front of her.

“I’ve never met anyone like you.” Valentina says sincerely. “I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel like I’m both sinking and swimming at the same time.”

Valentina scrunches her face and looks off to the side, as she thinks about the implications of her words. She lifts her eyes to look at Juliana again and they burst into giggles.

“I don’t think that came out the way I wanted it to. I promise it meant it in a good way.” She tries to amend.

Juliana nods while continuing to chuckle. “I know what you meant, Val.”

“Are you sure? Because that didn’t really sound right to my ears…” She trials off with a dissatisfied expression. 

Juliana lets out an amused huff before pulling Valentina in for another kiss. It’s more of a peck on the lips, quick and earnest, but it still does its job of quelling Valentina’s overthinking. Juliana tucks some of Valentina’s hair behind her ear and gives her a sad smile.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that you’re leaving.” She says with a shake of her head.

“Yeah, me too.” Valentina says quietly.

“Things are going to be different around here without you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

Valentina quirks her eyebrow in disbelief, causing Juliana to let out a chortle through her nose.

“I’m serious. I’ll never be sorry about meeting you, or about the time we spent together.” Juliana says sincerely. “The only thing I’m sorry about is you leaving.”

Valentina bites her lip and looks down shyly. It’s an honest admission from Juliana, and it causes a flutter of unbridled giddiness from Valentina. She desperately wishes she was eloquent enough to express to Juliana all of the emotions she can’t seems to keep track of, so instead she settles with burying her face in the crook of Juliana’s neck.

After a few moments of basking in Juliana’s comforting presence, Valentina pulls away. She takes out her keys, and begins to unhook the ones to the house and gate. A warm hand stops her efforts and she looks up, confused.

“Keep them.” Juliana says with a smile.

Valentina tilts her head. “Are you sure? These are your keys, Juls.”

“Yeah I’m sure. Just in case you…” Juliana trails off and looks to the side. She brings her hand up to rub at the back of her neck, and gives Valentina a sheepish smile. “In case you ever happen to find yourself in our city again. Besides, I made a new set for myself a while ago.”

Valentina bites her lip again, and turns her hand over to hold onto Juliana’s. They both give each other a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

“I’m sorry I have to leave, too.” Valentina says softly.

“Don’t be.” Juliana shakes her head. “You’re doing what you love.”

Valentina nods slowly. That’s right, she is doing what she loves. She should be happy to be heading out on the road again, but the usual excitement of it is alluding her. Valentina thinks back to her conversation with Nick on Friday. As her eyes gaze into Juliana’s, she finally feels like she has the answers to the questions she asked herself that night. No, Juliana was not just a friend to Valentina. And she doubts she is just a friend to Juliana. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change anything. Valentina is still leaving, and she doesn’t think she’s coming back. The thought of that rests uneasily at the pit of Valentina’s stomach.

“Right.” She forces a small smile. “I guess I should head out now.”

“Right.” Juliana parrots the word back.

She pulls Juliana in for a firm hug. Valentina breathes her in, trying to commit her scent to memory. She pulls back, and places a gentle kiss on Juliana’s forehead. They smile softly at each other, before slowly letting go of their embrace. 

“So, I guess I’ll be seeing you?” Valentina says without much thought and immediately wants to kick herself for the terrible phrasing on her part.

Juliana tilts her head to the side affectionately. “I certainly hope so.”

Valentina’a mouth twists into an awry smile, and she nods at the beautiful woman. She climbs into her van and puts her keys into the port, turning over the engine. She looks up at Juliana, lifting her hand up in farewell before putting her van in gear and pulling away from the curb. Juliana holds her hand up as she watches Valentina pass her by. With a heavy heart, Valentina drives away from the house, away from Juliana. Her speed is slow, almost like she’s waiting for something to stop her, but of course nothing does. So she continues to drift further from the only home she’s known for a long time.

Valentina’s watery blue eyes glance up at the rearview mirror for one final look at Juliana. She watches as the figure of the woman gets smaller and smaller. Her knuckles tighten on the steering wheel, while she tries to fight back tears. Valentina doesn’t want to leave Mérida, she knows she doesn’t. It doesn’t matter though. As much as she wants to stay, she knows she can’t. With no other options but to move forward, Valentina returns her gaze to the road ahead of her and does her best not to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone still with me? Words cannot express how sorry I am for how long it took me to get here. I'm going to do my best to get the next two parts out in a timely manner and not let the wait drag on. I hope you're all thriving and living your best lives. Much love, - I


End file.
